Mr. Speaker, we have heard comments about surface scratching and burping and other qualities.
Yesterday when we talked about the actual numbers I recall the government had eliminated 589 positions. It has appointed only 700. That strikes me as far more than scratching the surface.
Moreover in the Globe and Mail article that was frequently cited today and yesterday, 80 people were identified with ties to the Liberal Party out of 700 appointments. One would find in the public opinion polls that there are probably more Liberals than that.
The Reform Party has difficulty with the kind of argument it is making. What I have heard from members of the Reform Party in the past is that the problem is Ottawa, the problem is government, the problem is the civil servants.
These boards are made up of Canadians from across the country. Many of them are regionally appointed. Many agencies are regional. Certainly some of them are appointments of people who reflect the views of the government. That is natural because you do have to change things. The majority on the boards are not now Liberal because they were appointed by the previous government.
If you in the Reform Party are out to change-