Thank you, Mr. Chair.
With respect to this motion, I oppose it, both for practical reasons and reasons of principle.
Subsection 4.1(1) requires the minister to examine government bills presented to the House of Commons and “ascertain” whether they are inconsistent with the purposes and provisions of the charter. If so, this must be reported to the House. It was very clear legislation.
The process of reviewing legislation for charter risks, which underlies it, has been in place since the inception of subsection 4.1(1)—that's since the mid-1980s—and has served all governments well.
With respect to Mr. Cotler's comments on whether we celebrated the charter at 30 years, we don't tend to celebrate legislation; we highlight it. The Prime Minister made statements about it. But I don't believe the former Liberal government had a big party at the 20th anniversary either. It's part of a series—