Mr. Speaker, I really do not know where to start. The member is wrong, wrong and wrong again.
On the issue of transparency, as I stated earlier, Transparency International is an international non-governmental organization devoted to fighting corruption and promoting transparency in government around the world. It has consistently ranked Canada as the best out of all of the G-7 countries in terms of transparency. I do not understand what the member is talking about.
He talked about watchdogs. It was this government, it was the Prime Minister who decided for the first time ever in the history of Canada to allow the auditor general to report four times a year. That is the watchdog. It was this government for the first time ever that appointed an ethics counsellor to advise ministers and the Prime Minister on issues relating to ethics. That is transparency.
On the last issue, the member was talking about accountability. I thought Canadians elected members on that side of the House in order for them to act as opposition members and not to waste their time making unfounded and senseless allegations, and then coming up with bankrupt ideas. If anything that is what is fueling the cynicism of Canadians.
While I am on my feet, and you are being very generous, Mr. Speaker, when we talk about public trust and public confidence, my colleague knows there was a Léger & Léger survey as early as January before any of these allegations came about. It stated that in terms of the public trust, less than 50% of the people trust journalists; insurance brokers, 51%; publicists, 47%, real estate agents, 44%; and politicians, who were right behind car salesmen, 18%.
Why do people not trust politicians? It is because of those kinds of statements and the way those guys are undermining the public institution and democracy of this country. It is because those ladies and gentlemen are not doing their job and talking about the issues that matter the most to Canadians, issues such as unemployment, economic growth and taxation. Those are the issues that are important to Canadians. They do not want members to stand on their feet and make unfounded allegations, which none of them would make outside the House.