Mr. Speaker, I commend the member opposite on his thoughtful comments tonight, which were logical and clear. I do not agree with many of them, but they were a cut above the average we hear sometimes in this House.
I really do not understand why some Liberal, NDP, and Conservative MPs fear supporting the reform act in its current form and want to weaken it further.
As elected representatives of our constituents, who have expressed a clear preference for the current bill, I would hope that all members would think long and hard before trying to water down a bill of this importance.
The current version of the reform act would re-empower MPs and get them once again working for their constituents rather than for unelected back room apparatchiks. It would allow MPs to put the needs of Canadians ahead of narrow party interests.
While I will support the bill in its current form as an important step forward, I will have to think about it if it is significantly watered down as changes are made later.
I ask, will all MPs in this House support the current version of the reform act and restore democracy to the House of Commons?