Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member for Chicoutimi for his remarks.
I like to think that the Reform Party does not have a hidden agenda by this motion which would lead to a more divisive debate in this country than there has been already on the national unity issue. I would prefer to think that the member for Calgary West really does want to lead the way in getting better access to the type of government documents, federal and provincial, that members of parliament, the press and the public should have access to.
I would assume that he would not want to open up documents that might adversely affect federal-provincial relations. He does not want to cause dissent. He wants knowledge.
I suggest to him that the problem he really ought to be addressing is the Access to Information Act. Currently under section 14 it rather broadly prevents the government from disclosing any type of documents relating to federal-provincial affairs.
If the Access to Information Act were amended so that it was not so broad, so that so much was not restricted from public disclosure, so that in this particular section it was narrowed down that governments should only withhold information that would cause problems with federal-provincial relations, then his motion would have merit.
I would suggest as it is currently framed the motion does strike with too broad a brush and has the potential of causing great damage.
We must give the federal government and the provincial governments an opportunity to debate divisive issues in privacy and perhaps give them a 30-year rule whereby these things should be reported. Right now I really do think that what the member should be doing is looking to amendments to the Access to Information Act. Then I think he would get exactly what he wishes.