But perhaps our true feelings and our commitment to change have not been understood in Quebec because we have exhibited our normal reticence here in Ontario about expressing our strong emotional feelings about our country and its future.Īs I listened to speaker after speaker in the last few days saying sometimes the things I am trying to say, it struck me that perhaps for the first time we here were trying to express our feelings as a group and perhaps repetition is a very important part of this process. Macdonald once said, our country is a triumph of politics over geography. There is a deeply felt commitment to our Canada and to understanding each other.Īs Sir John A. There is a basis for change within Confederation.
As the needs and aspirations of our people in Canada have changed, we here have accepted and endorsed the need for constitutional change. Ontarians and Quebeckers have shared in the development and growth of Canada. We are neighbours in the valley of the St. That is to a large degree because of our close and long-standing relationship with the people of Quebec. In helping that change occur, we in Ontario, like Quebecois, have a special role to play. But we want it done within Confederation and with Quebec. Just as Quebecois want change, Ontarians do too. Change is inevitable and necessary for all of us, but can there be co-operation and friendship in a country that has been divided? No. We worked together for Confederation in 1867. Quebecois and Ontarians fought for responsible government in 1837. I believe these traditions forge much stronger links between us than our differences. It is an affection for and understanding of the land and the people, developed through generations. That is reality, no matter what we hear in the war of statistics.Ĭanada is more than a simple sum of costs and benefits. These have been nourished by our history and guaranteed by our national will and our economic strength as a nation. I am speaking of our cultures, our languages, our unique view of the world. Il survivra parce qu’on est fier d’être Canadien.Īs Canadians, we are allowed to share in a richness that cannot be measured in dollars and cents. Pour que notre pays survive, il faut que tous les Canadiens croient en son avenir. Les souvenirs des grands sapins couverts de neige me rappellent les mots de cette chanson québécoise, Une autre image est celle de mon premier voyage à ma nouvelle maison à Arvida au Québec, alors que je conduisais à travers les montagnes sur la route 54, à travers le magnifique Parc des Laurentides au nord de la ville de Québec. Et c’est là où j’ai appris à aimer et à respecter leur joie de vivre et leur amitié. C’est là où j’ai eu mes premiers contacts quotidiens avec les Québécois dans leur propre langue. J’ai également des images de quand j’étais étudiant à McGill University, pendant ma première année à St-Jean d’Iberville sur la rivière Richelieu. C’est à ce moment-là que j’ai appris mes premiers mots de français, que je les ai prononcés avec hésitation et avec une mauvaise prononciation. Ces images remontent à quand j’avais 15 ans et quand je me promenais dans les montagnes de St-Sauveur-des-Montagnes, alors que je travaillais au Young Men’s Christian Association. Je porte dans ma mémoire des images de cette province et de ce peuple. I want to continue to make those visits as a Canadian, mingling with Canadians. I feel at home in Quebec, both with the land and with the people. As Treasurer and Minister of Economics I will naturally talk about the economic benefits of Confederation, but I want to begin on a more personal note. Speaker, I am delighted to speak to the members of this Legislature and to Canadians everywhere about the future of my country. Resuming the adjourned debate on the constitutional resolution.
ORDERS OF THE DAY DEBATE ON CONFEDERATION (CONTINUED)