When I look across the way, and I look at our...this is succession planning. You've had two or three very experienced cabinet ministers leave in the last two months. The parliamentary secretary had that first year to be there on Fridays when McCallum wasn't there, when Dion wasn't there. Now that person has fit into that role. That's succession planning. We don't have that.
I listen to people every day in the House of Commons. Yes, it's maybe a 10-minute or a 20-minute speech, but that 30 seconds when that light is on is the most important time because it's showtime. You know that. It's showtime, and it's also succession planning. I look at the back. Will some of the members ever get a chance to speak? Probably not when you have a big caucus, but will they ever get that chance on a Friday to ask maybe even one of the ministers a question? Yes, there's a pretty good chance that would happen.
Parliamentary secretaries need to be groomed to be ministers. That's why when you have question period for five days, you can do that. You need question period. It cannot be cut down. You know and I know the experience when the light is on is different from when it's off. We all need time to get used to the surroundings and to the cameras. I watch people in the House of Commons and they have no idea which camera they are pointing at, but after question period, I sit down with them and say that's the first thing they must see, whether it's that camera or that camera. The next Friday they might get the question. Guess what they do first? They say, “Mr. Speaker”, because it's that camera.
Succession planning in government is hard. We have seen many rookie cabinet ministers of any party and any Parliament struggle because of the 45 minutes to an hour in question period. It would be a grave mistake if we lose 20% of question period. We need to nurture our parliamentary secretaries when they are on the carpet. They need that experience when an opposition member asks a question. You're on your feet. What are you going to say? You don't get that opportunity if you're doing four days because that minister may be there Monday through Thursday, but guess what. You might get that opportunity on Friday.
I think we all need succession planning. I've seen it. If you want it to be gender...that's good. We've had struggles in the last year and a half because of it, and now we can bring the parliamentary secretary to have that opportunity on a Friday question period. It may be rough the first time, but over time that person.... I saw it in the first sitting. When McCallum left, when Dion left, you had capable people to come to the front bench, and they had the experience because they actually had to stand on Fridays and answer questions. At first it was tough, but they learned.
You know, yourself, Mr. Simms. The more you do it, the better it becomes. I don't know how much experience you have on TV, but I've had 40 years of experience and I nurture rookies all the time, but we never get the chance. I don't know how many MPs actually look to see where the camera is. That is the first thing. Yes, the microphone is on, now where is the camera? That's what you're taught. With only four days of question period, you might get one question as a parliamentary secretary for the whole Parliament, the whole session, because the minister is there Monday through Thursday.
Succession planning is something that's important. This is why we have to talk about this. Your front bench is going to change. There are people who are going to move on. We're having that issue now in our party. Some of our long-term members are leaving. We've had a lot leave since the last election. To be honest with you, we had very capable ministers in the front row. Have we slipped because we don't have the experience? You're damned right we've slipped. It's hard to replace a cabinet minister just like that, but over time, if you have....
I think that's where the parliamentary secretaries are so important, because you're giving them that opportunity to advance to the front row. However, having question period on four days or lengthening question period will not do that.
It's important that we nurture young MPs because that 45-minute to one-hour period, Mr. Chairman, could spell the demise of the career of a member of Parliament. We have to realize that. We're dealing with lives in that 45-minute to one-hour question period. There are a lot of things said—and especially today with social media—that can absolutely ruin a member of Parliament's life.
It is important right now to put them in a position to start on the backbench, then go to parliamentary secretary, have a couple of issues for which they have to stand up and think on their feet, and then eventually, hopefully, move to the front bench, whatever party is in power.