Mr. Speaker, I would like to make two points relating to my friend's comments. The first one is that opposition to or support for a particular point of view in a referendum cannot always be bought and sold.
The classic case in point was in British Columbia during the Charlottetown referendum where Rafe Mair influenced a great number of people with his comments on that issue. I think it would be very difficult to put a value on it. But the concern that we have is that if the government is getting in there, supporting somebody on one side or the other, that it is unfair and that is just not the way it is supposed to be.
The other point that my colleague from Fraser Valley made is worth repeating. It is the notion of a free vote on this matter. That is very important. If we are going to make constitutional change we do not want any hint that somehow or other the result happened because of a political deal, that it was a backroom deal by the political elite.
The issue must be a free vote. We must insist on a free vote. In a matter of this kind we have to stand up and let our constituents know just where we stand on it. We should not be hiding behind a party whip.