Document Information

Date: 1981-02-12
By: Canada (Parliament)
Citation: Canada, Senate Debates, 32nd Parl, 1st Sess, 1981 at 1657.
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SENATE DEBATES — February 12, 1981

[Page 1657]

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

LETTER FROM MR. TOM SIDDON, M.P.

Hon. Peter Bosa: I should like to direct a question to the Leader of the Government in the Senate. I recently received a letter from Mr. Tom Siddon, M.P., Richmond-South Delta, which states in part:

I think you would want to know that the Prime Minister, Mr. Trudeau is receiving thousands of letters similar in form to those attached. There is a genuine feeling, especially in Western Canada, that his unilateral approach to Constitutional Reform is in fact unconstitutional.

Can the leader tell us whether it is a correct interpretation to say that the Prime Minister’s approach is unilateral when, in fact, the Prime Minister has the support of the federal New Democratic Party, which has two dozen members out west, has the support of the Premier of New Brunswick, who is of Conservative political persuasion, has the support of the Premier of Ontario, the most populous province in Canada, and has, as well, the support of Mr. Bill Yurko, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Edmonton East, who, I am sure, has the support of tens of thousands of people out west? How could anyone describe that as a unilateral approach?

Hon. Raymond J. Perrault (Leader of the Government): Honourable senators, obviously the honourable senator has a firm grasp of the facts.