Mrs. Suzanne Tremblay (Rimouski-Témiscouata)

Madam Speaker, I am happy to see that some of our friends opposite do care about what is going on in their ridings and are committed to standing up for their constituents.

They can join us in so doing, as we are here to look after the interests of Quebecers. Welcome, sir. Join the club.

I would also like to take this opportunity to tell the hon. member that our regions as well are faced with major problems, which we certainly intend to bring up over and over again. In my riding for example, the previous government shut down the CBC station which provided a vital link within the community. So, I will take every opportunity to remind this House of what a vicious deed this was, as regions can no longer make themselves heard from government because of the lack of communication. I will make this point every time I rise in this House until the CBC and the new government get the message that regions must be given the means to communicate again, first among themselves, and then with the rest of the country, from coast to coast.

Mrs. Suzanne Tremblay (Rimouski-Témiscouata)

-to be selected to Team Canada.

Mrs. Suzanne Tremblay (Rimouski-Témiscouata)

I have a supplementary question, Mr. Speaker. Minister, you may have had a different outlook from outside of the country as an ambassador, but hockey is our national sport-

Mrs. Suzanne Tremblay (Rimouski-Témiscouata)

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Yesterday, in his speech in reply to the Speech from the Throne, the Prime Minister stressed repeatedly the role that Quebecers and French-speaking Canadians play in Canadian institutions. Again this morning, the Minister for Foreign Affairs was mentioning how well treated Quebecers were in Canada. Yet, Quebecers are conspicuous by their absence from Hockey Team Canada, the team which is setting out to represent Canada in the Olympics, in Lillehammer.

My question is the following: Can the Minister tell us why Hockey Team Canada has no room for a player from Quebec and what concrete steps he intends to take to put an end once and for all to this shameful discrimination?

Mrs. Tremblay

Mr. Speaker, are we to understand that the Minister washes his hands of the matter and refuses to take concrete steps to correct a glaring injustice towards Quebecers, especially the likes of Mario Lemieux and Alexandre Daigle, who were apparently not good enough-