Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak to Bill C-13 which amends the Parliament of Canada Act.
This amendment provides for members of the Progressive Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party to be full-fledged members of the Board of Internal Economy.
I believe in any organization in our democracy, matters which affect employees or members of any organization should work by way of input from those members. I do not believe that the House of Commons should take a different approach than that which is taken by any other organization in our country. In fact, we should set the trend and the style for those kinds of things.
The act did not previously provide for membership on the board for those two parties and this amendment corrects that situation.
While we may differ in the House from time to time on many issues, I do not believe that the Board of Internal Economy is a place in which differences occur by way of motions. I believe it is a consensus organization. In fact, it is a management organization that keeps the members' interests at heart and, in particular, keeps the members' interests, on an ongoing basis, regardless of party politics. Presumably it is non-partisan.
New members should be reminded that the Board of Internal Economy operates on a consensus basis. Therefore, with the new membership and the more people we have on the board, it is imperative to keep the consensus building ideal and not get into motions and partisan issues. We should manage the way any good organization should manage. Hopefully that is what this amendment to the bill does.
We wholeheartedly agree that these two parties be active members of the Board of Internal Economy. We wish them well in future discussions and debates that will occur there.