Jean Chrétien

[National Unity, November 21st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, there is value to having a federal government. For example, on this side of the House we are strongly in favour of a medicare system that is equal for all citizens in every part of Canada. It is not only the desire of the people of Alberta, B.C., and Ontario; the people of Quebec want free medicare through which all Canadian citizens and all citizens of Quebec can be admitted to the hospital not because they have money but because they are citizens.

When the leader of the third party talks about dismantling the five conditions of medicare, he is on the way to dismantling the country.

When we were fighting to keep Canada together, it was not very useful for the leader of the third party to talk about the Constitution. That was the time to talk about national unity and jobs for all Canadians.

[National Unity, November 21st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, we said there were to be some changes and we will proceed with some changes.

For example, we started more than a year ago signing agreements with nine provincial governments to eliminate the duplication that is mentioned on this side of the House and the other side of the House. We hope we will be able to do the same thing with the new government in Quebec so there will be less duplication.

We will look at what can be done in terms of making the federation work better, but I do not believe that dismantling the federal government will solve the problem. We need a strong federal government that has an active presence in all parts of Canada and in Quebec. That would solve the problem. It is not by dismantling Canada to make a community of ten communities that we will succeed, as is the proposition of the leader of the third party.

[National Unity, November 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I have no intention of doing any of the three things the member mentioned.

[National Unity, November 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, they are always involved. They have members of Parliament who are here in this Parliament all the time who represent their constituents very well.

If the hon. member does not think she is able to represent the interests of her constituents, that is her own judgment. But I know that the members of Parliament who have been elected generally feel pretty good when they get up that they have a mandate to speak for the people of their riding. I believe that is the way democracy works. If our judgment is bad, there will be an election.

When I campaign during the next election in the ridings of the Reform Party, the people will remember what the Reform Party members did in the last week of October 1995.

[Constitutional Changes, November 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the Bloc members who agree with the statement made by Jacques Parizeau on referendum night to rise in this House.

[Constitutional Changes, November 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, thousands went to Montreal and, last Sunday, tens of thousands of citizens met in cities all over Canada to tell all Quebecers: "We want you to remain Canadian citizens". This happened in every provincial capital, in cities and villages all over the country. But, of course, the Bloc Quebecois is only interested in separating.

It is not interested in meeting the needs of the people, but rather in having bourgeois ambassadors at the UN, in Paris and elsewhere, whereas people want Quebec citizens to have jobs and economic stability.

[National Unity, November 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. leader of the third party should take the time to read my speech. I said it would be a veto for the people of Quebec.

[National Unity, November 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, at that time the member for Lethbridge was a member of the cabinet in Alberta, which accepted a veto for Quebec. Mr. Strom was the premier and the member for Lethbridge was a minister at that time.

[Distinct Society, November 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, what is worrying the Bloc Quebecois is that they know very well we are going to act. But this time they will be forced to vote. There will be no fine words. They will vote against the distinct society, and the truth will out. They are separatists who do not want to admit it to Quebecers frankly and honestly.

[Distinct Society, November 1st, 1995]

Mr. Speaker, the Parliament of Canada will speak on behalf of all Canadians when it is presented with a resolution concerning this problem. This I have promised and this I will do. Then the pretences will be over. The separatists have always been saying that they had not obtained their distinct society. But they do not want it.

Another vote will be held, and you will see that they will again vote against a distinct society for Quebecers.