Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I rise to participate in the debate at third reading on Bill C-99, an act to amend the Small Business Loans Act.
Before going any further, I would like to make a few comments about what our colleague, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, said. If I understand correctly, our colleague told us that he was leaving at least-unless I misunderstood-the Standing Committee on Industry, if not the House itself.
In any event, if he is indeed planning to leave the industry committee, I would like to tell him again-I say again because I already had the opportunity to tell him through the Speaker-how much I appreciated working with him and what a distinguished parliamentarian the hon. member for Broadview-Greenwood is. I was in a position to appreciate his many fine qualities and his great contribution to the work of the committee. As a man, I have always considered the hon. member to be a liberal in the noblest sense of the word and a humanist as well. I hope to have the pleasure of continuing to work with him.