I thank the hon. member for his very good question which deserves a good answer.
The fact that we consult with Canadians and hear their point of view is not shirking responsibility. I am not suggesting the hon. member is saying that and I trust that he is not saying that. The fact of the matter is if we are not prepared to listen and consult with constituents we can get so far off base that they will remove us from office. In the process we not only lose our position here which really is not the important issue, but the country is led in the wrong direction and often damaging decisions are made.
1642
For instance, our national debt which is now over $.5 trillion, is a heritage we are giving to our children that they have had no part in making. Because we have not been listening to parents and grandparents concerned about the welfare of future generations of Canadians, we may have a very black mark in the history of this country.
Canadians are responsible. If we include them in the decision making process we might be surprised by the wisdom of their decisions. It strikes me very odd that hon. members laud their electors for their good judgment in sending them to this House. Then all of a sudden once they get here their electors have lost all that good judgment. They are not capable of making any sound decision based on the good of Canada. They are only concerned about their own narrow interest.
I do not accept that. I believe if Canadians know they would actually have some impact on the decisions made in this House we would find that the quality of those decisions, if they are provided with the necessary information would be equal or better than the quality of the decisions made by us.