Mr. Speaker, in an attempt to answer the member's question, the 25 per cent allowance for geographic size in many cases would be adequate. In my view there are cases where it would not be adequate.
It is most difficult in larger ridings. We find that people in the large ridings, the electorate, are really very mobile. They have to be in order to live in areas that are sparsely populated. Rather than MPs continually make house calls it would be incumbent upon them to have meetings in a central area, advertise them well and make sure that people got there to make their representations.
Further, it is most important to reform the Senate to the point where it is elected, equal and effective. It is most important in my view. In that way we would be looking after more regional representation. It is one of the facts of Canadian life that the population is very widely but not very evenly distributed.
Therefore it is all the more important that we have regional representation, a Senate with equal representation from each province that is actually effective in blocking, revising or sending bills back to the House or committee and is elected by popular vote. That is absolutely essential in Canada.