Mr. Speaker, since we are comparing the two cases, you will forgive me if I correct certain facts.
These groups, in the case of both Newfoundland and Quebec, have already been heard. Here in Ottawa, they are talking as though there had never been any consultations regarding the constitutional amendment affecting Quebec. There were the États généraux sur l'éducation and consultations on Bill 109. So the groups that come here are not expressing new and different points of view. You want the provincial governments to hear these arguments, but I do not think there is anyone who has heard a single new thing with respect to either the case of Newfoundland or that of the Government of Quebec. It then becomes a pretext.
It is always a bit of a paternalistic attitude that the folks in Ottawa must form their own opinion. The people of Newfoundland have expressed their point of view, and they clearly had one opinion. There were several years of discussions with the groups concerned, and the reason the government held a referendum was because it was unable to come to an agreement with these groups. Almost everything there is to say has been said. How does the government think we are going to reach different conclusions? On the contrary, this even weakens the consensuses somewhat because the two concepts of consensus and unanimity are being dragged in.
Is the government's process not going to weaken somewhat the existing consensuses, which are strong both in the case of Newfoundland and in that of Quebec?