I'm fascinated as I listen to my colleagues across the way. Either they're new to politics, or they're trying to take us for a ride, but we are not getting in. When you've been around the political block—what I'm about to say is serious, indeed, quite serious—and when you've spent 10 years in purgatory precisely because of ties like these, you would think the Liberal Party of Canada had learned its lesson by now.
Mr. Arseneault, I'll believe that you're a lawyer—I have no problem on that front—but this is actual politics, and when someone is affiliated with a political party, it looks bad. The Liberal Party has called for the heads of ministers for as little as a $16 glass of orange juice. Just ask Bev Oda.
You're trying to convince us that you don't see a problem, but it's as plain as the nose on your face. That's how obvious what you're doing is. At some point, though, you have to be independent. We weren't the ones who said that. In the House yesterday, the minister said our committee was independent. There is no independence today, however. We've always had confidence in one another.
If Ms. Meilleur were to appear before the committee, I wouldn't have any confidence in her. That has nothing to do with her qualifications. Other candidates were equally as qualified, but they didn't have ties to your party. That is the problem, right there.