Madam Speaker, we need to take a look at the evidence. To examine whether or not the government is treating this issue seriously, there is no better place to look than in the special legislative committee that was set up by the government. Truly the government has let the courts do what they want without challenging them.
The committee was set up and it was supposed to study the issue. There was supposed to be a legitimate effort to study the issue. In fact, my colleague from London—Fanshawe had gone to the Prime Minister and talked to him about the fact that he wanted this to be a legitimate look at what was going on. The government set up the committee so it would have the majority on it. Then it restricted in the beginning our ability to bring witnesses forward. The government did not want to have a broad hearing of witnesses.
When it did allow us to bring witnesses forward, often it sat three of the pro-government side at the table with one person who was against the legislation, just to make sure that the witnesses were intimidated as much as possible. Witnesses were called with 24 hours or less notice and were expected to show up at committee and make their presentations.
The committee sat for four hours per night, four nights a week to run through this as quickly as possible. In fact, it was run so unfairly that in the end the member for London--Fanshawe said that it was not the agreement he had reached with the Prime Minister and it led to his actually leaving the Liberal Party and sitting on the other side.
In answer to my colleague's question, the government has not treated the issue seriously. It has not treated it seriously in the courts, in how it has dealt with the court rulings. It has not treated it seriously in the House of Commons either in the way it dealt with the committee or how it is treating us through this week of debate.