Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise today and congratulate the Liberal Party of Canada for voting to amend clause 14.8C of its constitution at its Biennial Convention this weekend and become the first party to cap expenditures on nomination campaigns.
Until now, because there was no limit on the amount of money a potential candidate could spend for a nomination, a person with greater financial resources was always at an advantage. This amendment, which acts on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Electoral Reform in 1991, rectifies such unfairness by removing financial hurdles and levelling the playing field. This is not a victory only for women but for everyone else who is not part of the establishment. The amendment targets people without deep pockets and rich friends, youth, aboriginals and persons with disabilities by making it less financially straining for them to seek office.
Politics should not be a sphere reserved for this country's economic elite. Rather it should be a forum in which concerned citizens can discuss and make decisions for their future. This amendment makes it easier for Canadians of various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds to run as candidates and have an active—