Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Senator Moreau, as you know, the newly sworn-in members of the Quebec National Assembly took an oath to the people of Quebec, not to King Charles III. Since I am not a monarchist, I agree with this law that was passed by the Government of Quebec, which lets parliamentarians make their own choice when they are sworn in.

However, when it comes to protocol, the new Quebec government went even further yesterday by asking the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec to stay out of the public eye and not attend cabinet’s swearing-in ceremony.

Senator Moreau, you served as a minister in a previous Quebec government, and you are now a representative of the federal government. What does the federal government think of this most recent development?

Hon. Pierre Moreau (Government Representative in the Senate): Senator Miville-Dechêne, that is an excellent question. I draw a very important distinction between adhering to protocol and preserving federal institutions established by the Constitution, including the office of Lieutenant-Governor.

As you know, changing this institution requires amending the constitution, which no partner in the federation can do, not even the Government of Quebec. Moreover, the Lieutenant-Governor must sign off on every commitment made by cabinet members, as she did for matters relating to the swearing-in of members of the National Assembly of Quebec.

For its part, the Government of Canada shares the view of the vast majority of Quebecers: Right now, the most important thing is to ensure that the Canadian economy is functioning, that Quebec participates fully in the Canadian federation and that —

The Hon. the Speaker: Thank you, Senator Moreau.

Senator Miville-Dechêne: Given your response, I’m wondering whether, as some sources have suggested, the federal government has decided to refrain from commenting on this latest episode in order to avoid straining relations between the federal government and the new Quebec government.

The Quebec law on the oath of allegiance is already before the courts. Are you going to challenge it too?

Senator Moreau: The federal government believes that it must intervene before the courts when provisions related to the Canadian Constitution are challenged. The federal government can choose to intervene at any time. It is not required to do so in the first instance. However, anytime decisions are handed down that could have a major impact on how the Canadian Constitution is applied, the federal government will intervene.