Mr. Speaker, in a very direct way I would say to the member that what is missing is actual meaningful input before the decision is actually taken.
The process that we have seen, and I acknowledge in respect to the hon. Minister of Justice, was a new process. It was in keeping with some of the recommendations that came from the committee, but in my view it did not go far enough because the decision was already taken.
I do not take issue with what the hon. member has said as to the responsibility not only for members of the bar and officers of the court, but for parliamentarians as well. We must acknowledge the incredible talents and incredible people we have serving the people of Canada and serving in international roles, as we saw with Madam Justice Arbour.
I am not prepared to go as far as the hon. member, just as I would not go so far as to defend every member of the House of Commons, past or present. There will always be those in every profession for whom we are less than proud, but it is really much about public confidence. It is really much about the issue of allowing the people of Canada to feel that there is some element of direct accountability, not in an insular way through professional organizations such as bar associations and judicial councils where certainly they are accountable insofar as there are processes for removal, but I go back to the central issue.
I am not saying we should be electing judges, but I am saying that elected individuals should play a greater role in having actual discretion that is taken into consideration and respected by the executive branch which ultimately acts on those recommendations, acts on that information provided.
This is a process of such significance and great importance as put forward by my colleague that there is a greater need for public confidence. There is a greater need for public involvement through elected officials, even if it be in an in camera process where there is direct interaction with the Supreme Court nominee. I see no difficulty with that.
I think many members of the bar and many potential candidates would be prepared to come forward and subject themselves to some degree of scrutiny. Why would they not ? If they want that position, why would they not be prepared to simply state that and state their reasons?
It is not sullying the reputation of judges to suggest that they should be treated like anyone who is applying for a job to go before a body of essentially peers as parliamentarians and say, “This is why I want to serve the public in this capacity. These are my qualifications. This is the merit I bring to the job”. What could be more straightforward than that? What could instil greater public confidence to know that level of scrutiny, not for the purposes of dissuasion, embarrassment or any kind of inappropriate prying, but simply greater respect for the Parliament of Canada to have input into what will ultimately be a decision taken by the Prime Minister in conjunction with consultations with the Minister of Justice and others who also play an important role in the selection process?