Mr. Speaker, I think Canadians would have a lot more confidence in their system of government, not just the government, and in the political process if they felt they were being governed by a process in which political parties, and governments in particular, because they are often the ones who make the decisions, did not feel compelled to defend to the death every last decision that they make no matter how wrong that decision may come to be seen or judged to be, even by themselves.
I agree with the point the hon. member is making. Canadians would have more confidence, not less, in a government and in a political process in which political parties and particularly government were able to say that they would truly allow the House to judge proposals on their merits. It must not be declared as a matter of confidence or, as is sometimes the case, it is not formally declared a matter of confidence, as it was yesterday by the Prime Minister, but is informally communicated to the members of the government caucus that this is something they are expected to be obedient on.
Canadians would have a lot more confidence in a system in which that did not take place as often as it does. I think there is a place for confidence. I think there is a place for governments to run on certain things and expect people who run with them to toe the line. However, I believe that should be a limited range of proposals and things.
The problem with the Canadian political system is that the range is like this instead of like that. We need to broaden and expand the range of issues on which members of parliament can express themselves as individuals or as representatives of their constituents, however they judge that to be possible. I believe all political parties have a job to do in that respect, but governments in particular because they are the ones who make decisions that have the immediate effect.