Madam Chairman, I am sure that the government House leader will agree with me that in a parliament, it is advisable that members use available resources to inform parliament of all concerns pertaining to their immediate communities. Private members' bills allow that.
However, I do not agree with the House leader when he suggests that there are enough statutory resources available. Resources alone are not enough, there must be no strings attached to them.
Could the House leader tell us how many legislative counsels there are at present? I do not think there are more than three; they are very dedicated, extremely competent and a credit to this House, of course.
And does he have any idea of the timeframes that are involved when, as an ordinary parliamentarian, one has to register to have a bill drafted and would like the work to be performed within a reasonable time? It may take a legislative counsel weeks to come up with a bill that satisfies the member.
Once again, we are not questioning the individuals' abilities, but rather their numbers. There are only three, four or perhaps five legislative counsels who draft amendments for the committees.
Madam Chairman, you were yourself a member of the standing committee on justice for a long time; you know that many amendments come from committees, particularly from the justice committee. Legislative counsels then draft bills which take considerable time. The government and the Clerk of the House of Commons were very reluctant to commit additional resources for legislative counsels.
Does the leader agree with me that, to restore the function of a member of parliament and the independence of thought that must be a attached to it, it is important that we have a sufficient number of legislative counsels to ensure a speedy process with regard to the drafting of private members' bills?