Mr. Johnston (Westmount):

In fact, Mr. Speaker, the Westmount riding represents the Canada of tomorrow, where learning and speaking both official languages will be considered an opportunity and not an obligation.

At present, Mr. Speaker, we are observing in the West-mount riding a profound change in the attitude of the Englishspeaking population which is willingly taking part in the francization of Quebec. Anglophones, for example, are seeking opportunities to communicate and speak French with their fellow citizens, and it is astonishing to see, Mr. Speaker, that most of my Anglophone friends' children are attending either French schools or French immersion schools where both languages are taught. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, despite the Parti Quebecois' efforts to create an attitude of confrontation between Anglophones and Francophones, exactly the opposite is happening today.

Mr. Speaker, since the conquest, Canadian history has taught us that the division between French and English in the province of Quebec is based on religious rather than language differences. Up until now these religious differences have almost separated the two societies or prevented their integration. In my view, the ease with which English-speaking Irish Catholics have integrated themselves into the French community, for example, is proof of this theory. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that is why today we Find Francophones with names like Burns, O'Neill and Johnson, even in the Parti Quebecois.

As we know, Mr. Speaker, these religious barriers have nearly disappeared. This is a very great change in Quebec. In my opinion, relations have never been as friendly and as positive. I believe that far from being confirmed, these two solitudes, of which Hugh MacLellan wrote, are rapidly getting closer together. We, English-speaking Canadians, who have not the slightest intention of leaving the province of Quebec, see in all this the potential for a multicultural society.

Mr. Johnston (Westmount):

1 should like to close, Mr. Speaker, on a rather more serious note. I said earlier that Canada has enormous potential, and the Leader of the Opposition agrees with that. We have a tremendous asset base and we have a population that can exploit that base. The constituent elements of economic growth, as we all know, basically consist of the marriage of resources, labour and capital. We need capital in this country, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, political uncertainty does not create a secure environment to attract capital, be it Canadian or foreign.

We in the Westmount riding, Mr. Speaker, are on the front line of the battle not only to save our own economy in Quebec and that of Canada, but to save the country itself. The people in the Westmount riding, be they French-speaking or Englishspeaking, live with this problem every day. I believe that the people of Westmount, like the troops on the front line of a battle, are in a better position to judge what kind of leadership and what kind of leader is required to win that battle than the reserve troops who are stationed many miles away. I say to you, Mr. Speaker, that the vote on October 16 whereby the Liberal party was given an overwhelmingly increased percentage majority compared with 1974 was a message which the people on the front line sent to the people of Canada. And they sent a message that was loud and clear, Mr. Speaker.