Absolutely. I wouldn't want to stray too far away from the bounds of what would be relevant.
Mr. Chair, I think this context is very important, because we are talking about the future political leadership of the country. What I suggest is that there is significant political involvement. I wasn't privy to the conversations or the heads-up that the Liberals gave to the NDP when it came to this particular programming motion. I'm certainly not present in the backroom dealings of Liberals contemplating Mr. Trudeau's future, nor am I aware of what exactly the parameters are around Mr. Carney's possible coronation as future leader of the Liberal Party. However, it's so significant, because we have seen—and this is where it really intersects with the true relevance of what we're talking about here—that the leader of our government, the Prime Minister, the head of the cabinet, exerts a tremendous amount of control and influence in the context of our governmental system.
I'll spare the committee my feelings on Westminster democracy. However, Mr. Chair, what I would share simply—and then I look forward to being able to pass it over to my colleagues, as well, because I'm sure they'll have more to say about this—is the amount of influence that the leader of the government has. When we have such open questions surrounding Mr. Trudeau's future.... Minister LeBlanc not that long ago was openly saying that he was looking into it. We have Mark Carney who, although denying specific timelines for what a leadership run would look like, certainly seems to be positioning himself, as Mr. Morantz mentioned, on the lecture circuit, talking about all the challenges and how he would do things differently.
What I think, and the message that I hope we can get support from my colleague from the NDP on, since it will be called into question, I would suggest—the confidence and supply agreement that they signed with Mr. Trudeau—if there was a change in executive leadership in the Liberal Party resulting in a change in prime minister.... We certainly have a lot of questions that need to be asked. There are a host of concerns, especially with regard to how Mr. Carney seems to be very much talking about the matters that are before not just this committee but the House of Commons.
I think that it makes good sense. It would provide a valuable opportunity. Of course, Mr. Chair, as you know in stewarding these meetings, the neat thing about calling witnesses forward is that it is truly one of those few circumstances in parliamentary debate when there is equal opportunity, unlike the bringing forward of this motion.
Again, I don't want to get too much into that, because I'll speak to the motion more generally when we get to it. However, if Mr. Carney were to come, there would be opportunity for all members of this committee.... For Canadians watching, it is important to note that when a witness comes, there's agreement among the parties. Each committee passes a series of guidelines for different rounds of questions, and they're distributed among the political parties to ensure that there is that equal opportunity to ask those tough questions, to contribute to witnesses. If I could—although it's a somewhat terrifying prospect—put myself of the shoes of some Liberal members, I think I certainly would want to have the opportunity to question somebody who might be my future leader.
I would certainly suggest that there would be valuable input that could be provided in terms of the context of having not only a former Bank of Canada governor but also a former Bank of England governor. I think this is the sort of thing that would provide that opportunity among all parties to be able to get some answers to some very serious questions about where Mr. Carney is trying to lead some of these conversations in his lecture circuit.
We need to ensure that some larger questions about the future of some of these big economic arguments.... Right now it comes down to this, and I would conclude with this, Mr. Chair. The reason these questions are so important is that Canadians are hurting. I host town halls across my constituency, around 20 or so a year, representing about 60 different communities. A few of the larger centres, the communities of 1,000-plus, I get to every year, and I get to some of the smaller communities of less than 1,000 every two or three years.
What I found very tragic over the last number of years is how there is pain and hurt beyond what I've certainly seen in rural Alberta, and that's not just me talking as a Conservative MP from rural Alberta. There is pain with respect to the cost of living, the cost of housing, the challenges associated with being able to pay the carbon tax and some of the onerous regulations and red tape that exist in terms of being able to start and sustain a business. Canada used to be a country where we would hear that if you buckled down and worked hard, you could succeed and live out the Canadian dream. A lot of that has to do with that entrepreneurial spirit, and being from the west, that pioneer mentality. Much of that has been pulled away from the future of so many Canadians.
I would hope that my colleagues from all political parties, but specifically those in the Bloc and the NDP, would support calling Mr. Carney here so we could be able to ask those tough questions, because people at the very root of it are hurting. They are hurting. Why should we deprive them of this chance? What was a frustration.... I don't want to get into too much of the specifics of the motion and the context in which we're debating it, but when life gives us lemons, we're trying to make some lemonade.
Let's get Mr. Carney before this committee. Let's make sure that we can ask some of those tough questions of somebody who seems to be the incoming leader of the governing Liberal Party, although we hope that party won't be governing for too much longer. Let's have that opportunity for not just Conservatives to ask questions, but for every party represented in the House of Commons to ask those tough questions.
Mr. Chair, I would simply ask that my name be put back on the list, because there are a few more things I'd be happy to share. I look forward to being able to continue the conversation.
I'm hopeful that Mr. Morantz's subamendment to the amendment to the motion will be successful.
Thank you.