Thanks, Mr. Chair.
I've resisted the many opportunities today to enter into the political fray with the diatribes that have gone back and forth at committee. However, perhaps I can take this last opportunity to remind committee members that we've often privately and publicly talked about the effort and need to try to move this particular topic out of the realm of partisan interests.
While I appreciate that all of us as members face pressures from our parties and our constituents to boost our own party's interests, ultimately we'll have failed Canadians if we continue to do this. There must come a point for pragmatism and a practical approach, whether it's through this bill or others. It seems that we must contemplate another reality for Canada, particularly for our economy. If we can't contemplate that reality and make it thus, we will have failed everyone who's come before us and all the constituents we try to represent. And while it seems like short-term gain at times to have a partisan win, we have seen with our record over the last number of years that the ultimate loss is all of ours to bear.
As we go ahead with this bill and others, my reservations remain over the built-in provincial clauses that have been put into this bill today. I think they're problematic and ultimately dangerous. But we'll be moving forward to support the efforts of this intention, as we have declared our efforts to try to work with government and any opposition party willing to work with us.
Ultimately we have to decide, gentlemen--because that's who we have here around this table--what kind of legacy we'll leave behind in this particular Parliament and whether we'll have properly earned our pay and properly earned the votes and confidence of Canadians.
I'll leave it at that.