Mr. Speaker, allow me to thank my colleagues for their contribution to this debate. Their speeches were very interesting. It should be noted that this is the second hour of this debate, which began in May.
I found that generally the speeches were relevant. However, there are a few things I would like to clarify. As mover of the motion I feel it is important, in matters of procedure, that I be given the last five minutes.
I moved this motion to recognize the work done by community groups. I have often said in speeches, and when I meet the people concerned, that society would not be able to function without these groups.
I am talking about literacy, youth centres, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. Under its present structures, the Society is unable to fully sustain all these activities. If no one provided literacy programs any more, would we come up with the large sums needed to have the Society and bureaucrats provide them? I do not think we are able to do that.
The same is true of youth centres. If we did not have youth centres, would society be prepared to pay the cost of such services? I think it would be impossible to do so. Thus, these responsibilities are given to community groups, who are of great value to our society.
What do these community groups do? They spend 50% of their time looking for funding for the coming year. There is a problem and I think it is time to recognize the work of these groups and to do something so that we can help them provide real support for public services.
I have heard some arguments I found less appealing. I have heard members say, “You know, if we entrust these funds to politicians, things are bound to go awry.” One has to have very little confidence in one's talents as a member of Parliament to say things like that. Personally, I have confidence in my colleagues. I even think that they are in the best position to determine who will receive funding.
Now, for the mechanics of it. I have heard arguments that the motion is vague. On October 25, it will be 10 years since I entered this House, and I am starting to understand how things work. When someone proposes a specific procedure and an amount of money, that amount will be found to be too high or too low or else the motion will be found unacceptable. When someone proposes ways in which funding could be distributed, people decide that it is not a good idea to distribute the funding. That is why the motion is worded as it is.
In fact, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs will probably have a role to play in implementing the motion, setting up a framework, defining the methods and criteria. It will be done. Of course, we are not asking for unlimited funding. First, the House must have a democratic debate. That is the issue today.
Everyone always says that the members do not have enough powers. We want to give them some by allowing them to allocate funds to specific groups. I trust the members to make this determination. Now, we will see which committee of the House will address this. But when that committee does so, it will have a democratic mandate from the 301 members of this House. This is key.
So, the time has come for members in favour of some decentralization or who believe that the machinery of government is too unwieldy to put their trust in each other as members and colleagues. The fund should simply be approved once the terms have been set by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
I would not send this fund straight to the committee so that, in short order, it can tell me that it considered the matter, declared it unfeasible and said the committee could do nothing. The committee's hands would be tied by the 301 members who will vote on this motion.
In closing, I want to say that, in some societies, some governments impose various taxes. When there are budgetary surpluses such as the present $13 billion surplus, the government has all the latitude it needs to provide better services to the public. That is the purpose of today's motion. That is what this motion is recommending.
I ask my hon. colleagues to put their faith in each other, to support this fund and to let the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs address this issue once it has received a democratic mandate from the 301 members of this House.