Mr. Speaker, I would not say it smacks of coercion. I would say it smacks of parliamentary supremacy which is what the notwithstanding clause is all about and one of the reasons why I voted for the charter at that time.
Others were very concerned about the notwithstanding clause. There was division between political parties and within political parties about the value or the rightfulness of the notwithstanding clause. Certainly at the time I thought the notwithstanding clause was a good thing.
I would not want to see it be used frivolously or often. It should not be regarded as the legal or political equivalent of the nuclear deterrent, never used. It should be used and certainly it seems to me that the government should make clear in this case that this is something it is prepared to use should it feel necessary.