Mr. Chair, I found what Todd Doherty shared with us to be just so sincere and so moving. I just want to thank him for sharing what he personally feels as an individual member of Parliament in representing his constituents. I think that is something we around this table all share.
I just want to throw in my two cents before letting Mr. Nater take the floor. That is, I think this place would be better if we didn't have political parties. It's a radical notion, but it's what they do in Nunavut. It's what they do in the Northwest Territories. If individual MPs knew that their job was to do the best they could do for their constituents, I think we'd have a very different and more consensual Parliament.
I still think that's an option. I put it forward in my recommendations for the Standing Orders. I recognize how unlikely it is. I'll be honest about this: it's impossible, because the people who will control the decision, if we ever were to consider getting rid of political parties, are the people most invested in partisanship. We are at our best when individual members of Parliament, like Todd, stand up and say, “I'm here for my constituents. This is how I want to work. I want to work respectfully. I want to listen to people. I want to learn from people.”
I just want to thank him before his words fade too much into our memories.
Thank you very much, Todd.