Mr. Speaker, I presume the hon. member was talking about the campaign donations made to the parties. I do not think political donations made by the banks really have any effect on whether a government would deal with an issue such as this. I do not see it. I could be wrong.
Where we have a problem as a government, and this is all governments, has to do with the bonds, the government coupons that are being clipped by banks; in other words, buying our debt. That is where bank decision makers can have a tremendous influence on the executive of a government. We are so dependent on the marketing and the purchasing of those bonds.
That goes back to what the member from Okanagan said earlier in his remarks, which has to do with transparency. When we have a bill like this today, Bill C-100, where we are dealing with the Superintendent of Financial Institutions and all the major financial institutions in Canada, I find it absolutely stunning that there is not a list of speakers the length of this room who want to speak on this bill. It gives us an opportunity not only to exchange with each other but also to send a message to the implementers of this bill where we, as a collective group, are coming from.
In my judgment, as MPs, we are blowing a gift to debate one of the most fundamental issues facing Canadians today, which is the ability of small business to gain access to capital. The Superintendent of Financial Institutions is one of the key players in making sure that happens and happens properly.
What are we doing? We have just half a dozen speakers, then the bill will go through the House. It is not that the bill would not go through the House, but this is a good reason to have a good, exciting debate to provide some hope for the only sector in the economy that is creating jobs.
Where are we today on this issue? I am not being critical of the House. I am just saying that every now and then we get a gift handed to us. This is one of the bills that affects the lives of most of our constituents. I wish we could create a little more excitement around it so the superintendent would understand where all of us are coming from on this issue.