Thank you, Madam Chair.
Earlier, Tom asked about the Bloc's position. As far as the Senate is concerned, the Bloc's position has not wavered. Bloc members believe, and will continue to believe, the Senate is an outdated institution that should be abolished.
As it is, it is very difficult to work on a bill in the House of Commons. The bill goes to committee and comes back before the House. More speeches are made. The bill is then sent back to committee where a vote is taken. Finally the bill is sent to the Senate which then goes through the exact same motions. It can destroy all of the work that has already been done. It's as if our efforts are all for naught. To our way of thinking, the Senate is an outmoded institution.
I have personally done a little experiment. I asked some Quebeckers if they knew who their local senator was. No one was able to give me the name of the senator representing the Laurentides region. Senators do not make any kind of representations and they are not required to make any. They are paid quite handsomely, just as we are. However, we must work on behalf of our constituents and do our job as Members of Parliament. We are required to be in the House at least four, and sometimes five, days a week. Senators, on the other hand, come and go as they please. As far as we are concerned, the Senate is truly a pointless institution.
There are also costs associated with the Senate. Keeping senators in business is a very costly proposition. There are 100 of them and they receive hefty salaries. This money could be put to better use. Maintaining the Senate is a useless exercise, in my opinion. That's all I wanted to say.
I agree that the provinces must be consulted. You are well aware of Quebec's position. No decision can be made without consultations. You maintain that there is no need to amend the Constitution. However, I feel that we need to take a look at the Constitution, because the federal government cannot simply change everything. If the provinces are not on side, when the next election rolls around, you are going to encounter people who will not be very happy. In my view, this approach is unnecessary and counterproductive.
You yourself said in your speech that you are prepared to abolish the Senate. I don't see how we can agree on this. You said that it could take 140 years. The debate may last another 140 years, because if the topic of discussion is the Senate, we can be sure the Senate will kill any debate. And once again, we will be left spinning our wheels. I'd like to hear your views on this matter. It's not that we want to act in bad faith. It's simply a matter of where we stand, or where Quebec stands. If you were to put Quebeckers to the test, as I said, you would be surprised by their answers.