Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Calgary West for the very thoughtful question. He will know that we discussed this matter in committee and on some of these points our views were closer than the report of the committee might indicate.
The United States constitution, in its evolution, is assisted by the fact of equality of representation in the Senate, so that Americans do not have to justify to the extent other countries do disproportionately large electorates for some states and disproportionately small electorates for others.
The United States Supreme Court has said, at least Mr. Justice Douglas has said, that equal things are to be treated equally, according to the doctrine of equality before the law, but unequal things do not have to be treated with the same canon of legal equality. Putting it this way, I can see the case, as a city member, made for country constituencies, that a lesser number of voters should be tolerated. I can see the case for going to 15 per cent. I had some problems with the 25 but I recognize that in committee, a consensus emerges and one accepts it.
We are not yet in the same situation as Japan where the supreme court had to rule on a situation where the electoral districts in Tokyo had five times the number of electors as the districts in the neighbouring country regions. Obviously that is a disproportion that cannot be tolerated.
Where do we draw the line? The committee, with some accommodation from urban members like myself and the hon. member opposite, tried to recognize the special quality of life of country constituencies and that perhaps a lesser number of electors was required. The 25 per cent has to be seen in that light. However, it would be simpler if we had a Senate with equal representation or something of that sort. The reform of the Senate is a subject on which the hon. member and I have many views, but it is, again, not a matter for this discussion.