My amendment would delete the words that Mr. Siksay added and replace them with the indisputably obvious principle that each member is equal. We could vote on another amendment, which someone could put forward, that the last election results are considered by this committee to be null and void, and that we as a committee will live under the assumption--however disproven--that the distribution of parliamentary seats continues to be what it was in the 39th Parliament. That is an additional subamendment someone could bring forward if they're not happy with my amendment.
If on the other hand we are prepared to respect the electorate and the mandates that they gave the various parties and their members, then we will support a motion that treats each member equally. Surely we don't want to get off to a start with this committee by engaging in a partisan effort to undermine the balance of power that voters selected. Surely we as a committee don't want to signal to the Canadian people that their voices were not heard. And most importantly, as parliamentarians who respect the privilege of members, we certainly do not want to assign greater weight to individual members of certain parties than we do to members of others.
I believe this vote will convey to any observers who are watching this committee--and I know that there will be thousands who will read the transcripts--that we as a committee are prepared to accept the will of the Canadian people and act it out in the administration of our functions.
Thank you.