Mr. Speaker, I apologize. I did not realize that was a rule. However, no politician in the House should walk upon the backs of Canadian Forces members, because we already stand upon their shoulders, especially on a minor political irritant or argument that would hold up something that is so fundamental to fairness to all Canadian Forces soldiers.
I have a question for the hon. member for St. John's East, who I have had the pleasure of serving with on the defence committee. He is an accomplished and intelligent individual.
The backgrounder to the legislation states that:
The military justice system is designed to promote the operational effectiveness of the Canadian Forces by contributing to the maintenance of discipline, efficiency and morale.
Former Justice Lamer of the Supreme Court states:
To maintain the Armed Forces in a state of readiness, the military must be in a position to enforce internal discipline effectively and efficiently. Breaches of military discipline must be dealt with speedily and, frequently, punished more severely than would be the case if a civilian engaged in such conduct. As a result, the military has its own Code of Service Discipline to allow it to meet its particular disciplinary needs. In addition, special service tribunals, rather than the ordinary courts—