Mr. Speaker, it is hard to take the previous member and his party seriously when one looks at the opposition day motion.
Let me first express some regret because when the Reform Party was first elected to the House its members promised to do politics differently. That really has not been the case. They probably represent the worst in partisan politics. The electors in British Columbia know that as they only elected two out of seventy-five Reform members in the very recent election.
The leader of the third party said: "I will not accept a chauffeur and a car from the government. I am going to be different". Then we find out that the chauffeur supplied by the Reform Party is subsidized by Canadian taxpayers. Later we find out that there is a suit allowance which provides clothes for the leader of the Reform Party. People within the party who raised these matters were subject to criticism.
We also have the case where the members of the third party waxed eloquently when we were dealing with one of the members in our caucus for opposing the government on a matter of confidence. What does the Reform Party do? It suspends two of its members for voicing concern over its policy, which is a matter of freedom of speech. It drove a third member out of the party, one who is regarded by most people as a moderate Reformer.
The motion ends with "cynicism about public institutions, governments, politicians and the political process". Surely the member recognizes that by Reform members cynical actions during the referendum campaign, where they tried to undermine the very integrity of this country, they are the ones who have promoted cynicism about public institutions and politicians in a way that has not been done in the history of this country.