Mr. Speaker, what did not come through perhaps clearly in what I said, and you will recall the first time I raised this last June, was it was directly related to my duties to prepare for question period. In obtaining information as the Liberal advocate for co-operatives, I needed information through CMHC, which I could not then obtain because it was not allowed to provide the briefing. There is one issue where there is a direct link to my parliamentary responsibilities which cannot be avoided.
The same can be true because I intend to raise questions about this massive development of a military base which has been ceded to the Canada Lands Corporation, but in order to do so, I need to obtain information. Therefore, the two are intrinsically linked.
In you judgment, Mr. Speaker, I hope you would consider also equality of access to information because I did mention, and I would hope you would look into that, that in all my conversations with members on the government side, never have I heard anyone complaining of their inability to access information from the government, just as members of this party and I gather from the House leader of the NDP, members from his party have been impeded from obtaining.
There are two issues here that are directly linked to my parliamentary duties as a member of Parliament representing constituents.
Finally, just on the morality of anyone in the riding that I represent can access information directly from public servants and they have been told by the government that they cannot give me that information. There is something that is untoward and unacceptable in a functioning democracy. I would hope, Mr. Speaker, in your judgment that you would weigh these three matters.