Okay. Because of the way in which you replied, I promoted you to a lawyer. But I assume you have a degree that makes you learned, don't you? If you are learned, you can be my learned friend, even if you are not a member of the Bar.
Now, back to competence. Not the constitutional kind, which we described very well a little earlier. Just plain competence.The question still arises. What would be the federal government's role? Which problems would federal interference solve? None. It was Quebec law that put Vincent Lacroix in the slammer for 12 years.
When I look at the charges as a result of the sponsorship scandal, when the Liberals stole public money to put into their election coffers, I see that none were the result of the inquiries or of the application of federal legislation. The only charges I see were laid in Quebec, and they have resulted in people going to prison.
I also notice that my Liberal colleagues who represent strongly francophone constituencies, like Mr. Rodriguez or Mr. Coderre, are nowhere to be found when the time comes to vote on the matter. So not all Liberals are in favour of this, and they know it all too well.
So, which problems would be solved by the creation of another behemoth of bureaucracy in Ottawa?