Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their kind solidarity, which makes itself known every time we are called on to evolve together, whether in caucus, general council or here in parliament. We form a solid and unshakeable block.
That having been said, I also wish to thank my colleague for her speech. We are familiar with the social concerns she has defended since first entering parliament in 1997.
I wonder whether I could count on her lively, committed and outspoken support for an upcoming amendment. I think that I can speak on behalf of the member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, who is also very strong on social commitment. We have been fighting since 1996 to have banks reinvest in the community.
I have to say that in 1996 I went to the United States to meet Joe Kennedy Jr., who was behind the second generation of community reinvestment by the banks because, incredible though it may seem, in 1977 the United States passed legislation known as the community reinvestment act, which I will speak about shortly.
The United States cannot be called a country where freedom of entreprise is in any danger. It cannot be said that the American banking system is not subject to cutthroat competition because, unlike the Canadian banking system, the American one is much more fragmented. There are regional and even local banks.
So I ask my colleague whether she thinks that the superintendent of financial institutions should assess the effort made by the banks to meet the credit needs of all consumers, including those in less well off communities?