Mr. Speaker, I thought that was a most enlightening dissertation and exposition of legislation now before the House. I wish to thank my hon. colleague for being so specific and thoughtful in his analysis and for the thoroughness with which he approached the problem with and the difficulties in the legislation.
There was one part of the legislation he hinted at that I think we should explore further. It seems to me that the legislation seems to be taking out of parliament the very essence of what parliament was created to do for the people of Canada. The difficulty centres around the possibility of an agency other than even a government agency actually creating a marine conservation area.
I know that this is particularly dangerous. It is bad enough if parliament gives this kind of power to an individual minister or to the cabinet. However, when the clauses contained in this legislation actually make it possible for a special interest group to force and to cause to be created a conservation area which then does not allow certain kinds of development to take place, then not only have we really usurped what the people of Canada elected us to do here but we have insulted every single, solitary person in the House, including members on the government side.
I would ask the hon. member whether he could explain a little more clearly whether that in fact could happen under this legislation. If that one provision is there, the bill should be scrapped, if for no other reason than that one, because it denies the House.