Mr. Chairman, I do not want to make this a matter of personal conflict but I want to make it a matter of principle. It is normal, I believe, that the Chief Electoral Officer, who is responsible for the election of 308 MPs democratically elected by the people, should be appointed by a house whose members are elected.
We do not want the Senate to have any role in the appointment of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada. We must remember that the Senate is made up of members whose appointment is a political reward. Not one of the 105 senators has been elected. Why should we give them any say over the appointment of an officer responsible for the election of MPs?