Our first Prime Minister saw a country that would be known for its generosity of spirit. And so it is.

On the same day I was sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada, I announced the most sweeping reform ever undertaken in the structure of our federal government.

Our first Prime Minister saw a country that would be known for its generosity of spirit. And so it is.

Government cannot and must not replace private initiative.

Since the end of the Second World War, our population has more than doubled to 27 million people.

To suggest that Quebecers willingly give up the chance to exercise fully their influence within the federal government would be to betray the historical role Quebec has always played in Confederation, and to undermine the legitimacy of their pride and ambitions.

It would be naive to imagine we have solved all our income security problems simply because the roles of the federal and provincial governments in the area of skills training have been clarified.