Mr. Speaker, the hon. member represents the great county of Albert from which Viscount Bennett, a great jurist and pretty good Conservative prime minister came.
Of course judicial independence is as important to this side as any of the five priorities of that side. For the parliamentary secretary to say that we do not understand the jurisprudence is false. We say to the parliamentary secretary that in fact we do, and we understand that Parliament can override the commission in this case, but it has to do it in the framework of fiscal prudence. Left with an $80 billion surplus and not respecting the independence of the commission are two good reasons that the government is in error in this respect.
On the aspect of delay, the parliamentary secretary who has a hand in this through government will know that Bill C-9 and Bill C-10 precede this bill. They are both fairly weighty justice bills that will be considered by the justice committee. Does he think that there will be speedy passage as this bill will fall in behind them, or does he see another way around the issue of the delay since 2003 of the salaries that should be awarded, other than the gracious opening he made toward amendments at second reading? Does he see a speedier way given that the justice committee is going to be bogged down, in essence, by his other priorities?