I would like to add something. As we just discussed, proportional representation is not the only way to correct the situation. I think we need a process that could lead to proportional representation.
First we need to create institutions that give people the opportunity to express their opinions and to be considered, which is referred to as mandatory opinions. For example, the House of Commons could not begin discussion of a bill without the mandatory tabling of the opinion of a group representing the public or various public opinions.
We must work toward that kind of change rather than simply changing the current format. There are 338 MPs and it would not inherently be a bad thing to eliminate a hundred or so of you and then to use representatives of groups that represent various opinions. Yet this would not solve the problem of civic participation. We have to be innovative. We have to use online voting or online consultation. Online methods can be used to gather the views of our fellow Canadians from the various regions of the country. We have to use these new communication tools that are multiplying very quickly. We have to go much further than the current institutions that are caught in a rut, maintaining that proportional representation will solve matters. Let us make the expression of opinions through various channels mandatory to ensure that they are considered in the decision-making process. That is why I say that proportional representation cannot instantly resolve all the basic issues.