Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I thank Mr. Goodyear for that explanation as to why this amendment or this addition to the amendment should be allowed.
I am, as you know, the one who moved the original amendment. Much of what Mr. Goodyear has said was said just before I moved this amendment. I thank him for his insight, and I don't know what else I can add to that.
If we take the original motion and zero in on this specific activity, we will do an injustice. We will not only do an injustice to the Canadian people, we'll do an injustice to ourselves too.
There is no question that there is a problem here. We definitely have a problem. If there weren't a problem, Elections Canada would not have investigated. There is a very strong possibility—at least that's what's conceded on our side—that the very judgment by Elections Canada is evidence of another problem, that this issue has to be examined. Some conclusion has to be reached on whether this practice is going to be able to be continued or not. That's what my amendment does.
The amendment basically says we're not just going to look at only the Conservative Party's practices, but we are going to see where that takes us. If that brings us, and I believe it will, to open up all new chapters, we're going to be able to see that there are other similar practices being held.
The most important thing, however, is not whether or not these things happen. We know they happen. We had a member here at the last meeting cite example after example of when it happened and where it happened. The question is, should this practice be allowed?
That's where we can do some really good, serious work. When I moved this amendment, I moved it in all seriousness. I really feel that we can do this. I don't think I want to be part of a committee that just roasts one party. And you know what? If that were another party, and us doing it, it just plain wouldn't be right. I think a lot of you feel the same way.
I want to be able to go to the Canadian public when we leave this place and know that we've done something worth while. This is something worth while. We have done some very worthwhile things in this committee as well. This can add to that.
I like Mr. Tilson's subamendment. It will broaden the scope even further, because there's obviously a history here. There are a lot of Canadians who don't understand just how our political system works, how we're funded by the government, how every vote cast is....
This is going to do something else, as well. It's going to explain to Canadians why we've adopted this system and why we feel that it's a good system—because it is a good system.
I met with a senator in another country. This was a state senator, and she told me that she spent $2 million for her last election. They meet part-time, and her salary is $19,000 a year. She was absolutely stunned when I told her what one of our elections costs and how we raise our money and how the government contributes to that. She wondered how it could work, but I assured her it works and it works very well.
I think we're on the right track. We have an excellent system in place, and I want to strengthen that system, not bring it down.
I want to strengthen the whole political system so that all parties can operate in an ethical manner. I don't believe we have anything to hide. It's very possible that we're doing something that we shouldn't be doing. It's very possible that other parties are doing something. But I do not believe this has been defined in a manner where the committees and Elections Canada have come to grips with this yet, and they have to. They absolutely must come to grips and make a clear statement as to what is allowed, what is legal, what is not legal, and what is ethical, so that we can improve on the system.
That said, since this was my amendment, I am also very much in favour of Mr. Tilson's. I think it's excellent, and not only that, it shows good faith as we vote for this, whether or not all parties are prepared to come to grips and work as a unit, as we've done in the past.
So I would encourage us to accept this amendment and the subamendment. Let's pass the whole thing. Let's get going, and let's do the job we were called to do.
Thank you.