This is a difficult question, Mr. Speaker, but I will try to answer it to the best of my ability.
It should be pointed out first of all that the chief government whip is not easy to pin down. It is therefore difficult to explain his about-faces in any great detail. It seems to me, though, that the answer may lie halfway between human nature and what I would call corporate pressure.
Perhaps you have already given some thought to the fact that Quebec is a step ahead in this respect. It certainly is no small thing that, in a democracy like Quebec, legislation and standards governing public administration were quickly established to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, conflicts of interests are avoided.
I keep saying that I am the son of a labourer. My father made a decent living but not a fortune. You do not have to come from a wealthy family to get into politics, as long as you have an idea to put across. We, in the Bloc Quebecois, for example, decided we would rather be funded through personal contributions.
For my part, when I ran and was elected to represent the people of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, I ran on a $30,000 budget. This amount was made up of modest contributions by individuals who wanted me to become their member of Parliament. The difference between Bloc members and government members, who are under pressure from various sources, is that, when I rise in my place, I know that I do not have to account to a corporate constituency. I know that, whether I speak on drug patents, the recognition of same sex partners or the national AIDS strategy, I do so freely, without any constraints.
But to be able to speak absolutely freely, our election funds have to be clean and the system must ensure that the ties between corporate constituents and elected representatives are clear. The government party, which is made up of honest people for the most part, exposes itself to criticism because it relies on corporate financial backers who have interests and attempt to influence government decisions. That is why it is so difficult to remain honest and keep one's hands clean in politics without clear funding arrangements.
I think that party funding and lobbyists registration are issues that reflect our willingness as parliamentarians to maintain our independence of mind and action.
Let us face it, with respect to the party financing policy and the lobbyists registration system, the Liberals are a traditional party, that is to say a party subject to pressure from the corporate constituency of this country. Again, it is a shame that the Liberal Party did not continue to act the way it did in opposition.