Mr. Speaker, I have just started my 20th year. I think there have been times when we have had complaints about the government's attitude toward parliament, but I cannot remember a time when the government was not willing to maintain quorum. This is a new development.
We have complained about governments that did not listen, governments that were arrogant, governments that changed the rules in a way that gave government too much power over the opposition, et cetera. There is a long litany of things that have happened over the last 20 years which all in themselves have reduced the power of parliament.
I do not remember a time when the government benches were consistently empty in the way they have been over the last while. This is a new development and something that is greatly to be regretted and greatly to be resisted. In the sense of what is now happening I think it is a good thing.