Mr. Speaker, of course it is not desirable. We have to consider the privacy and policy implications of every decision we make in the House. As a solid opposition that is what we are doing. We are bringing to the Conservatives' attention that by compelling first nations to publish detailed financial expenses, personal incomes and expenditures of band members on websites, and permitting any single person across this country to take the band to court, is a recipe for a violation not only of privacy laws or of perhaps commercial projects, but also perhaps even the charter itself.
In Nova Scotia, summaries of expenses of ministers are located at the legislative library for public viewing. The Government of the Northwest Territories only publishes travel expenses of ministers and does not require salary disclosure of elected officials or senior public servants, and neither Yukon nor Prince Edward Island disclose salaries of elected officials. That involves many more public servants than are at issue here.
Maybe we could start with ensuring that governments across this country are disclosing adequately to their citizens. However, at this point, with the amount of profound and dramatic problems facing first nations, I am grossly disappointed that, while there are serious problems to be dealt with, the Conservatives have chosen an issue that really will not make life better for any first nations.