Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a few points. I want to respond to the NDP member for Kamloops who suggested that you really want this to go to committee. I believe that is not accurate at all. Your reason is that we are debating it before the House because you want the House to decide without question.
I want to respond to the member who brought the motion forward, the Progressive Conservative member who has drawn an analogy to a civil case. I do not see this analogy and I will explain why.
It is true before the courts, or the general public for that matter, that litigants are not permitted to lobby the judge, the arbitrator or a juror when making a decision.
I submit that is not the issue here at all. When the original motion was brought forward, or the point of order, I was also standing along with the member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca. As is your role, Mr. Speaker, you recognized him. I respected that and I sat down. I did not have a chance to voice my concerns, but I had twice gone looking for you and was unsuccessful in finding you. This was an important enough issue for me that I wanted to talk to you and say that I at least have to voice my concerns to you on this point of order. I was absolutely going to try to influence your vote, without question. I believe that is perfectly appropriate in these circumstances.
I also believe it is perfectly appropriate if the public telephones you or faxes you or lobbies you to put their comments on the record.
This is an issue about your integrity. I believe that is why you are sitting in the chair. That is why we elected you. We are confident that you will make a decision which we will respect.
I had every intention of lobbying you, Mr. Speaker, because I did not have an opportunity to speak on the original motion and I felt it was very important that I do so. I disagree with the analogy which was made by the member of the Progressive Conservative Party that if this were a civil court case it would be improper to lobby you outside the House concerning your decision.
I am sure you have received faxes from the public, Mr. Speaker, on a matter of this importance. I am sure you have received phone calls from the general public. I would respectfully submit that the general public is not in contempt. They have every right to send information to you.
It is a matter of voicing our opinions. It is very important to me that you hear my concerns. I will not do that now. I want to, but I have not been able to do it. I will respect your decision, but again I think I have the right to let you know how I feel.
Some members have chosen to do that through the newspaper. We deal with it all the time. Every single day we see things in the newspaper about members of the House, their staff and other government officials. We have to filter through them to know what they mean.
Mr. Speaker, I have the highest respect for your office and for that matter for yourself. I will put that on the record. However, had I walked out of here and somebody had stuck a camera in my face and had asked me for my comments, I would have stated them quite openly, quite honestly and quite appropriately I may add with no disregard for your office whatsoever.
Again I will say that I respect your decision to let the House decide the issue. The other point of order is a separate issue entirely. We must respect your decision. We must respect your office. You are sitting in that chair because we put you there and because we believe in your integrity. Otherwise you would not be there. I am convinced of that.
I will not support the motion. Although I may not have chosen to lobby this way, other members have. They feel quite strongly about the issue and want to have their comments on the record. You are sitting there waiting to make a decision, which you can do with total impartiality.