Mr. Speaker, at the outset I want to thank the member for Macleod for introducing the motion. I want to tell all members of the House that we will definitely be supporting the motion because I think this debate on the floor of the House of Commons is overdue.
One thing I am amazed at, and other members have touched on it, is the Prime Minister suggesting that this is going to be a confidence vote. That is absolutely ridiculous. Obviously we all know what happens in a confidence vote if the government should lose, and I think the government would certainly be in a position to lose this one because it does not even have the support of its back benches. What is the Prime Minister doing? He is using the big stick to crack the backbenchers into line, forcing them to vote against the motion, even though in their own hearts most of them would certainly support it. Some of them have been brave enough to say that publicly.
Just imagine if the government did lose the vote and it decided to take it to the people in an election campaign.
Mr. Speaker, I am thinking of some of the campaign slogans of the past, but you are probably old enough to remember this one. Do you remember in 1972 when Prime Minister Trudeau campaigned on the theme that the land is strong? You are nodding in agreement. You remember that.
I do not know what the campaign slogan would be this time, but I imagine the basis of the campaign would be: “We are running on this. We want a mandate from the Canadian people to deny innocent victims of hepatitis C compensation”.
Mr. Speaker, given your political past, do you believe that would be a tenable campaign position?
Mr. Speaker, you are absolutely right. I see you nodding in agreement.