Madam Speaker, it is an opportunity and a privilege to rise in the House today to make my maiden speech.
It is an opportunity because the result of the by-election in my riding came as a surprise, to say the least, to all observers. For me, this journey began with an eclipse and ended with a full moon. Although I worked very hard, I feel so lucky to have been elected that, quite frankly, I really feel that the stars aligned. Ultimately, we eclipsed our opponents. Let us face it, this is a huge victory for the separatist cause, but above all, it is a victory for the supporters. It proves that by getting involved, people can make a difference. It is also a privilege that my constituents, my 78,000 or so bosses, are giving me today to speak on their behalf and be their voice in Ottawa.
In fact, that is exactly why we are here today, to discuss a question of privilege. I hope the House will allow me the privilege of taking a moment to thank the people in my riding from the bottom of my heart for placing their trust in me.
I had a great time travelling around the southwest during this campaign. I got to chat with Bloc Québécois members along the last avenues of LaSalle. I got to drink a beer with the Knights of Columbus in the “Bronx”. I got to eat a sub with locals at the famous LaSalle Drive-In. I loved rediscovering Ville‑Émard and Côte‑Saint‑Paul, where I hung out when I was younger, with my friend Yohan Painchaud, the cousin of Joel, another Magdalen Islander. I want to thank the people of the Magdalen Islands for their vital support.
I had so much fun saying hello to people at the Maxi on Laurendeau Boulevard and listening to what they had to say. A lot of running goes on during an election campaign. In Ville‑Émard—Côte‑Saint‑Paul, we ran down Maricourt Street and Biencourt Street. Sometimes we even jogged down Jogues Street. When we got hungry, we stopped for a great big Buck Burger at Dilallo's on Allard Street.
What can I say about Verdun? Verdun, the victorious. Verdun, my home, where I met my sweetheart. A lot of people talk about how chic and cool Verdun is. I love everything about my city, but there is another Verdun, one that nobody talks about, and I want to speak for that Verdun today. I love the Verdun of the people, the Verdun with the Maxi, the Verdun with the Zappy, the Verdun of the poor, the Verdun of seniors, the old Verdun, the Verdun with stucco and Gyproc buildings. That is my Verdun. That Verdun must never change and never go away, because the people of Verdun are the heart and soul of this tight-knit community. I will always think about that Verdun whenever I talk about the housing crisis.
English is the official language of 27% of people in my riding. It is safe to say that one in three of my constituents is anglophone. I would like to say a few words to acknowledge them. As I told CJAD radio, I want to be a bridge between Quebec's English-speaking minority and its French-speaking majority. I will never abandon my principles, but I believe that there is room for dialogue. During the campaign, I met many anglophones who, surprisingly, voted for me. I am thinking of Mr. Bellefeuille on Egan avenue, who, despite his French-sounding name, is completely anglophone. We talked about his personal history and the assimilation in his family. It made me realize, and I think it made him realize too, just how fragile the French language is on the shores of the St. Lawrence. He voted for me, because I am a local guy and a true Verdun native. I am also thinking of several anglophones in their early forties whom I met on Monk Boulevard and who told me about their support for the French fact and their desire to learn French. I am also thinking about Mrs. Berman on Argyle Street, a Jewish woman from Great Britain, who told me about how much she admired René Lévesque's integrity. Clearly, the memory of our former premier still lives on in Verdun's English-speaking community.
I am also thinking about an elderly lady of Irish origin who, despite being a Liberal, also told me how much she admired René Lévesque. I think Mr. Lévesque had a lot of respect for the English-speaking community, and that is why people in that community respect him. I think we need to follow his example. Finally, I will never forget the elderly woman from Wales who told me how much the cost of living and rising housing prices are affecting her quality of life. In the autumn of her life, she cannot buy meat or even afford cab fare to the Anglican Church of the Epiphany on Wellington Street. It is deeply unfair that people who worked all their lives should end up living in squalor in their later years. Those on the other side of the House should pay closer attention to the Bloc's proposals about seniors. The Bloc Québécois has lost confidence in the Liberal-NDP coalition for this very important reason. These are people I met, real people, and I will never forget them. I want them to know that I am here to work for them and with them.
Now, on to today's topic. We have been debating a question of privilege for several weeks now. At this point, the debate has become a time-wasting tactic that will in no way increase the public's esteem for Parliament. We are the people's elected representatives, and we have a responsibility to the people. Our conduct must be exemplary and our interventions relevant in order that we might instill confidence in our institutions and the democratic process. We must constantly prove to the people that we are here to work for the common good.
Let us get back to the matter at hand. I will begin by contrasting some of the essential features of our political system with the government's attitude. I will convey what the people of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun have to say. Then I will return to the substance of the matter and the conclusions we can draw.
Let me remind members of a fundamental principle of the British parliamentary system, namely the supremacy of Parliament. The executive branch is subordinate to the legislative branch. To avoid a dictatorship, but also to ensure good governance, the House, and the opposition in particular, have a role to play in scrutinizing spending on our behalf. They also have a role to play in holding the government to account for its decisions. Without that, there is no democracy. If I were one of the members on both sides of the House who say that my party is useless, I would be ashamed to say such things, because the Bloc Québécois takes this role seriously, and we believe that the people of Quebec will once again reward us with their trust for this reason. What are we doing as legislators? For weeks now, we have not actually been legislating, because this government refuses to respect one of the pillars of the current constitutional order.
Before I get to the substance of my remarks, I would like to digress one last time to talk about my riding, because this issue raises fundamental questions about the overall conduct of the government, which is accountable to the House. Far be it from me to comment on the internal affairs of the Liberal caucus, as the Leader of the Opposition has so clumsily done in recent days. Still, I owe it to my constituents and the public to explain what it means for them to have elected me on September 16.
The people of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun elected me because they wanted to send Ottawa a strong message. Here is that message. Throughout my campaign, I rallied the dissatisfied, the disgruntled, the people who are fed up with “he who must not be named”. I entered into a contract in French and English with my constituents. I told them that if they were tired of the Prime Minister leading the Liberal-NDP government, if they wanted to send him a clear message, they should put their trust in me, because the NDP was blindly supporting the Liberal Party and because the Conservative candidate simply would not get enough votes to win the riding. I repeated that thousands of times, too many times not to say it again in the House today.
If I can be blunt, the people of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun want the Prime Minister to go. That is what our by-election victory meant. He needs to give up and resign immediately. That is the message I came here to deliver today, and it is not from me, but from the people who elected me. I had to pass that message on to the House, whether my colleagues like it or not. I hope that is clear, and I will not be commenting further on who should or should not be leading Canada. After all, that could be considered foreign interference.
Let me end my speech by addressing the substance of the motion. The House compelled the production of documents. A member raised a question of privilege, and the chair found a prima facie case. Since that time, members have been talking non-stop, like Treebeard. The government told us, not without reason, that the RCMP does not want the documents because obtaining them in such an unusual way, through an order from the House of Commons, could compromise the evidence. It is certainly a valid argument, but that is not what the motion says.
The motion instructs the government and the Auditor General to deposit the SDTC documents with the law clerk of the House, who will review them confidentially and provide them to the RCMP. The RCMP is not obliged to accept them. I say, the government should let them decide and should just comply with the order issued by the House, period. We have been stalled for three weeks now because of the government's stubborn refusal to honour the Constitution and parliamentary privilege. Actually, we have been stalled for nine years.
Is Parliament supreme in this country? The government's answer to that is clear as can be. It is the same answer given by Pierre Elliott Trudeau and his Constitution, which was rammed down our throats: utter contempt. The answer is no. As I see it, this is contempt of Parliament, contempt of parliamentarians, contempt of the people as sovereign, and contempt of democratic principles. How many times will the government tax our patience? Enough is enough. The government must deposit the documents immediately and end this charade.
I would like to end on a positive note. The day I was elected, I said that love conquers all. I am sure of it. I think it is the essential ingredient of our democracy. It is also what gives us the strength to fight off despotism, because a voluntary citizen-driven movement is much more powerful than the crushing weight of fascism. Love of country, true patriotism, the love that the citizens have for the good of their community, is the best thing about our form of government, and it is much more powerful than the greed of tyrants. The love that political adversaries can show for one another, despite their differing views, is proof of whether a democracy will survive. Above all, the love of elected officials for their constituents is essential. We must always show those we love that we are here for them and that our hearts are in the right place.
We must never fear the people. We must stand by them. That is our responsibility. Their responsibility is to trust us in spite of our flaws, because we are human, too human. Where there are humans, there is human nature. I ask the people to have sympathy for their representatives.
I said that the Bloc Québécois victory in Verdun was a victory for separatists. Fighting for Quebec independence is my calling in life. It is a unique opportunity to finally secure our freedom. Quebeckers and Canadians cannot love each other when we are part of the same country, so we must go our separate ways. We tried unsuccessfully to get along with each other with the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords and after the referendums. Canada does not want to change, and neither do we. Like its Parliament, this country is not working anymore. It is time to start afresh, with each—
