Jean Chrétien

[Referendums, May 16th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, what I want is very simple. I would like the Government of Quebec to show some respect for the people of Quebec, by asking them a clear and honest question, that would be acceptable to everyone, instead of asking a winning question to try to encourage Quebecers to vote against their own wishes.

I would invite the Government of Quebec to do so and I am sure that-As we saw this morning on television, people throughout the world wonder why a province like Quebec is not happy to live in the best country of the world, that is in Canada.

[Referendums, May 16th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the position of the Canadian government is very simple. There have been two referendums where Quebecers have expressed the wish to remain in Canada. If the opposition party had a modicum a respect for democracy, it would recognize the fact that the people of Quebec have already made their wishes known.

I am delighted to be on my feet to salute the six heads of state and government of Central America. They all know what it is to be in a prison. They have established democracies in their countries and they are in Canada today. They have told me that they admire the democracy of Canada, the quality of life, the quality of public debate, and the quality of politics. I would like to salute them and wish them good luck in their work.

[National Unity, May 15th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, check Hansard : two, three or four will apply.

I replied to this question many times. Members of the third party are preoccupied with unity now when they were all hiding outside Quebec last fall.

[National Unity, May 15th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, is there any rule against repetition in the House of Commons?

[National Unity, May 15th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the speech from the throne is a few months old and the member has not read it yet. It was a big feature in the speech from the throne, yet his party did not read it.

Reform members are trying to find a new way because they are in such disarray that they cannot find anything to talk about. They were elected by telling everybody that there would be free votes in the House of Commons; they have never had a free vote.

They said to the people that they would present a budget before the budget of the Minister of Finance. They could not produce one. They do not talk about the finances of the nation because the finances have never been in such good shape, they have to put up with that.

[National Unity, May 15th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, we voted on distinct society in this House. During the Charlottetown accord, the House of Commons and the 10 provincial governments voted for distinct society. There was a referendum. The Reform Party voted against it and also voted against an elected Senate.

Reformers should at some time look with some responsibility at the whole package and look at the consequences of what they are doing. For example, when we were in the referendum none of them tried to help. Some of them wished that we had not won.

[National Unity, May 15th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I remember in September when we were debating that in the House of Commons, we had the pleasure of seeing members of the Reform Party applauding the Bloc Quebecois when they were arguing that 50 plus 1 meant the separation of Canada. They never sided with me when I was defending that. It was a serious question

that needed to be addressed in a serious way. I guess we will wait to see how they deal with the unity of the Reform Party.

[National Unity, May 15th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I have replied to that question four times today to members of the Reform Party.

[National Unity, May 15th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I repeat we had the speech from the throne and ministers have spoken on the subject. It was debated, approved and voted on in the House of Commons.

We have a list enumerated the day before yesterday in my speech in Montreal. I repeated the list again yesterday and it is all public. I have already discussed that with the provincial governments, and they have read the speech from the throne and have commented on it.

I hope someday the Reform Party reads the speech from the throne. It would then know where we are going.

[National Unity, May 15th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has on her desk the speech from the throne, the document we distributed to members of Parliament. If she would just read it in English, in French if she wants, she would see our program.