Mr. Chairman, I think what we are seeing here this morning is rather hypocritical. I remember very well that when the Conservatives were in opposition, they invoked the fact that we were elected, that we were parliamentarians, in order to have a right to all the information before voting.
What are we asking for? First of all, the minister is not a client. He is an elected official and is responsible for a department. Before voting on a bill, we have the responsibility of ensuring that we have all the information. Nine witnesses told us that this bill was not constitutional. I feel I am doing my job as a member of Parliament when I ask for information. If the minister appeared before us and said so, he should give it to us in writing.
Why do we not have faith in the word of members of Parliament? Ms. Jennings tabled an amendment saying that we would keep this information confidential. Is this not paid for with public funds? What is the point of voting on a bill like C-2 on accountability, on access to information, on transparency if you are not even able to give parliamentarians all the information they need? Is it unreasonable, as an elected official, to vote on a bill nine witnesses said was unconstitutional? Is it unreasonable to ask if this was investigated? If the minister said so, that is not enough. We need more information.