“The Prime Minister offered to work with Quebec's premier, but now he is silencing him at the summit in Montreal. I want the Prime Minister to explain why he is doing this.”

“Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the Parti Québécois’ election victory, the Prime Minister telephoned the Premier of Quebec to offer his congratulations and express his desire to work together on key priorities, including the economy, housing, support for workers and homelessness. It was a gesture of goodwill, but that collaborative spirit appears to have been short-lived. How can the Prime Minister justify muzzling the Premier of Quebec on his own turf, during the Canada–Europe summit taking place this week in Montreal?”

“The federal government blocked Quebec's premier from speaking at an international summit in Montreal. Ottawa says Quebec does not need to be heard at international meetings. I want to know if the Prime Minister thinks he speaks for Quebec.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am not sure that that lines up with what we were hearing in Quebec this morning. The Premier of Quebec asked to give a speech at a summit examining issues like culture, workforce mobility, the fight against global warming, and agriculture. The Premier of Quebec is entitled to take the floor in the largest francophone city in North America. Ottawa’s response was that no, Quebec’s voice does not need to be heard at international fora. Does the Prime Minister claim to speak for the Government of Quebec as well?”

“Quebec exports more to Europe than any other province, but the Prime Minister is leaving us out of trade talks. He will discuss our resources and our laws without us. I want the Prime Minister to fix this insult to Quebeckers and include us at the table.”

“Mr. Speaker, Canada’s leading exporter to Europe is Quebec. However, if we are not at the table, we are on the menu, as the Prime Minister himself said, and we now know that the federal government does not want Quebec at the table. He will talk about issues that fall exclusively under Quebec’s jurisdiction, and Quebec will have no say. He will talk about pipelines, fossil fuels and maybe new markets, the forestry industry, labour, the environment and culture. Quebec’s future is at stake, but we are clearly on the menu. Will the Prime Minister agree to remedy the insult he delivered to all Quebeckers in front of the whole of Europe?”