[Translation]
Mr. Réal Caouette (Témiscamingue): Mr. Speaker, even if I do not
always agree with the Prime Minister on various points, I fully
agree with the statement he made this morning. Indeed, I have been
repeating for 30 years, to those who will hear me, and those
who won't, that we have one Canadian nation, and not two, three or
ten, that we have two official languages, English and French, and
that we have a multiplicity of cultures which are the wealth of
our country.
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and myself are happy the Prime Minister
made that statement. However, I find this statement somewhat
confusing. The Prime Minister has stated and I quote:
For although there are two official languages, there is no
official culture, nor does any ethnic group take precedence over
any other. No citizen or group of citizens is other than Canadian
. . .
Mr. Speaker, if there is no official culture in Canada, I do not
see how we could succeed in really becoming a nation while we
would be endowed with only a few cultures unable to get on among
themselves or at war with one another. I am positive that we have
in Canada a culture peculiar to us. We French Canadians have one
that is not at all that of France, just as English-speaking
Canadians have a culture which is different from that of
Englishmen from England. We have our own Canadian culture. We have
our history. Our traditions and customs may differ from one area
or ethnic group to another. However, if we cannot change an
Englishman into a Frenchman or vice versa, we can nonetheless make
good Canadians out of members of all ethnic groups in Canada.
Ukrainians, Italians and Germans must be able to attain
self-fulfillment in Canada . . .
[English]
What I said in French was that we do not want to have in Canada a
little France, a little England, a little Italy or a little
Russia. We want in Canada a great country for all the people of
Canada, for all the ethnic groups in our country. Through that
channel we will achieve unity and we will reinforce our position
in the whole world.
