First Ministers' Conference  Mr. Speaker, the government's objective is to clarify as much as possible the division of responsibilities between the various levels of government to ensure that the federal government is highly effective and competent and in a position to help Canadians in its areas of jurisdiction, that the provinces, too, are highly competent and effective in their own areas of jurisdiction, and that there is a very strong partnership between the two levels of government.

First Ministers' Conference  Mr. Speaker, a while ago, the Minister of Human Resources Development, Mr. Young, revealed an offer made by the federal government to all the provinces. This offer proposes a general framework under which each province will be able to set its own policies in its own areas of jurisdiction to better serve its people.

First Ministers Conference  Mr. Speaker, the agenda has not yet been decided. We are still consulting the provinces on it. When it is known, it will be my pleasure to discuss it with the hon. member.

First Ministers Conference  Mr. Speaker, the agenda is still under negotiation. We are consulting the provinces about it. When it is known, it will be my privilege to discuss it with the hon. member.

First Ministers' Conference  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. However, I can only give him the answer I gave to the Leader of the Opposition, namely that the agenda has still not been drawn up and that the major points of the process to reform our federation are outlined in the throne speech.

First Ministers' Conference  Mr. Speaker, see how the opposition twists words. I wanted to make the point that the only way for a government to ensure that order, justice and law are respected is to respect them itself. Anyone outside the law is not in a good position to insist others respect it. This is why I gave the example of one province that, as compensation for the huge prejudice it considered it had suffered from being cut off from the rest of the country, could ask a government it considered outside the law to comply with it, otherwise it would consider contracts signed with this government null and void.

First Ministers' Conference  Mr. Speaker, the agenda is not yet set, but it will be shortly.

First Ministers' Conference  Mr. Speaker, I do not understand why the Leader of the Opposition is jumping to conclusions. The agenda will be known shortly and can then be debated.

First Ministers' Conference  Mr. Speaker, the throne speech clearly established the direction the Government of Canada intends to propose to Canadians. It is the direction of a more modern federation, one which works even better that at present, although it will be hard to better a country that is one of the best run countries in the world.

First Ministers' Conference  Mr. Speaker, there has never been any question of preventing the people of Quebec from deciding whether they want to stay in Canada, as we would like, or leave it. At issue is Quebec's claim that it can act unilaterally, set and change at will the way the law is applied. The basic issue is whether they are acting within the law.

Referendums  Mr. Speaker, what the Government of Canada is after in this matter is to ensure that, under all circumstances no matter how difficult, the rights of citizens are respected and negotiations are always held by mutual consent under the protection of the legal order. Democracy is indissociable from the legal order.

Referendums  Mr. Speaker, the title of number one country in the world has been awarded to Canada by the UN several times. Having said that, however, I am prepared to agree with the hon. member that we see other very fine countries in our travels, in Central America in particular.

Referendums  I have a quote here, since the opposition may not believe the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. This is a quote about how we must look at Canada.

Referendums  They will not let me speak, for fear of what I have to say. "Canada is a land of promise and Canadians are a people of hope. It is a country celebrated for its generosity of spirit where tolerance is ingrained in the national character". "A society in which every citizen and every group can affirm itself, express itself, realize its aspirations".

Referendums  These words, of such truth that they could have come from Sir Wilfrid Laurier or Pierre Trudeau, were spoken on July 1, 1988 by then Secretary of State, the Hon. Lucien Bouchard.