Mr. Speaker, it is truly a pleasure to stand today to close the debate on M-304, a motion to extend access to information to Parliament and crown corporations.
This will demonstrate the openness of Parliament and the accountability and transparency of government. I have been very impressed with the quality of the speeches and how many people have spoken positively about the motion.
Basically four concerns have been raised which I would like to address very quickly. The first concern is that members' private business and budgets would come up for more detailed scrutiny. Mr. John Grace, the access to information commissioner, assures me there are protections within the present act so that would not be threatened.
The second concern is that there will be changes to the Access to Information Act and that it is on the justice minister's timetable. The justice minister is extremely busy right now and I would question how soon access to information would come up.
The third concern which has been raised is that the motion did not have enough detail in it. That concern was addressed probably better in the last Parliament when a number of Liberal members said that we did not need to have all that detail. Besides, this is a motion and the details can be added.
The fourth concern mentioned was that the competitiveness of crown corporations would be affected. I would like to read this from the access commissioner to assure members that it would not be the case. It states:
It is my view that the existing exemption provisions provide the necessary protection for sensitive information in the hands of crown corporations. Sections 18 and 21 provide ample opportunity for crown corporations to provide valuable information as well as corporate strategies and plans.
Therefore I do not believe that is a concern.
Because those things are not a concern and because this is a non-partisan issue, I strongly ask that all members consider voting yes for M-304.