Mr. Speaker, I would just like to make a comment and say that this motion is not a personal attack on you personally, but rather the sign, I would say, of a deep malaise in this House, where we had the feeling the Chair was been held hostage by the party in power, which is unacceptable.
If there is someone in this House I trust it is you, Mr. Speaker. Because up to now—I was elected here seven years ago—you have been fair in all your rulings.
But lately in the House we have sensed quite a change in the attitude of the government regarding your authority, and this is unacceptable.
So, I wanted to make this comment. I can assure you that for my part, as a member of parliament, if we come to an agreement and manage to restore your powers, you will always be able to count on my support.
However, if we decide to introduce amendments to a bill and call upon a legislative counsel, and this person keeps our documents confidential, it does not make sense that they should become common knowledge.
I am working on amendments to a particular bill. I am wondering whether I am going to call upon legislative counsel because I do not trust them. If, as an elected member of parliament, I can no longer trust the people who are supposed to help me draft amendments or work on bills, and if I feel my rights as an MP are being breached, I cannot work properly. I will no longer feel like defending the interests of my constituents here in the House. I do not believe this is what my constituents want.
I do not know how you are going to solve this, but I believe that somehow we are going to have to make sure that your powers are fully restored and you can freely decide and choose. Second, we have to find a way for us members to restore our trust in the people who are supposed to work for us here in the House and to eliminate partisanship.