Thank you, Madam Chair.
You mentioned, and rightly so, that there have been several attempts at Senate reform in Canada's history and that, each time, these attempts failed because no agreement as to the model could be achieved.
In my view, the healthiest approach in this regard would be to undertake a round of negotiations between the provinces and the federal government in order to come to some agreement rather than attempting to accomplish this, as the government is suggesting, through an act, through a change that is not substantial but the aim of which — and you mentioned it and I really appreciated your choice of words — is to destabilize the present structure, the status quo.
You, who at the very outset went on record in favour of Senate reform based upon the need to democratize this institution, are you not uncomfortable with the fact that the Conservative government, by tabling Bill C-20, is seeking to destabilize the provinces, to snap its fingers at the provinces and to do indirectly what it cannot do directly? The same is also true in the case of Bill C-19; you are aware that the National Assembly of Quebec unanimously adopted a motion opposing this Bill.
Do you view this as being healthy for democracy?