I speak of a Canada where men and women of aboriginal ancestry, of French and British heritage, of the diverse cultures of the world, demonstrate the will to share this land in peace, in justice and with mutual respect.

What is considered sinful in one of the great religions to which citizens belong isn’t necessarily sinful in the others. Criminal law therefore cannot be based on the notion of sin; it is crimes that it must define.

I believe that Canada cannot, indeed, that Canada must not survive by force. The country will only remain united – it should only remain united – if its citizens want to live together in one civil society.

Some things I never learned to like. I didn’t like to kiss babies, though I didn’t mind kissing their mothers.

Obviously, the state’s responsibility should be to legislate rules for a well-ordered society. It has no right or duty to creep into the bedrooms of the nation.

If I found in my own ranks that a certain number of guys wanted to cut my throat, I’d make sure that I cut their throats first.

I must say that “Give Peace a Chance” has always seemed to me to be sensible advice.

I want to separate sin from crime. You may have to ask forgiveness for your sins from God, but not from the Minister of Justice. There’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation.

Power only tires those who don’t exercise it.

I walked until midnight in the storm, then I went home and took a sauna for an hour and a half. It was all clear. I listened to my heart and saw if there were any signs of my destiny in the sky, and there were none – there were just snowflakes.