Thank you.
One thing that concerned us at this table is that to increase the numbers, to put this provision back to the original report--as I know some of us would like to do--we need a royal recommendation. Without the royal recommendation of this government, we don't have the authority to spend more money. That puts us in a very difficult position. I just put that on the table so people understand that we can take it down under the rules, but we cannot increase without the government allowing us to do so. We will see how this plays out.
I know my colleague, the former Minister of Justice, wanted to be here, but he's now at another place doing this.
I want to say, at least from my party, and I think from all the opposition parties, with the respect we hold for the judiciary, this attack that seems to be coming from the current government is not only disrespectful, but it is harmful to the whole system of justice in this country. This is a hard-working system of justice. It's led by judicial officers who have been chosen for their talents, as you well know. The fact that we are put in this position today by the current government, I think is wrong. I believe we have sufficient case law on point telling us that.
The Minister of Justice stood in the House, when I responded to it the first time, saying to plead less money in the area, when we had the best surplus ever. To plead that we could get people for cheaper was just a spurious argument. I feel somewhat ashamed to be in this situation at the current time.
I hope that in the future we are able to have people of your calibre doing this work, because it's important for all of us.
If anybody would care to make a comment, I certainly would give my time to them.