Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for Skeena—Bulkley Valley for his speech and for giving me the opportunity to put myself on record as to where I think appointments should go.
First, I do not agree that one cannot have a Conservative, Liberal, or NDP background and be appointed. It should be one of the many things in one's record that should be looked at, but in a non-partisan way, by people from all parties.
I agree that people from all recognized parties in the House of Commons should be part of the process to name officers. I do not agree with what is being proposed in the motion.
The director of public prosecutions is a wonderful example of a non-partisan way, in the law, we name officers. A representative of each of the recognized parties in Parliament is on the committee. They work together to make a proposal to the minister to create a short list. The minister names someone, it comes to the justice committee, and we have a review.
Personally, I believe, in the case of an Official Languages Commissioner, that members of each party, perhaps on the official languages committee, could create a short list, in consultation with the QCGN and the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada. The government would give the short list to a committee that includes people from all recognized parties, then the government would name someone from that short list and it would come to Parliament.
What I do not necessarily agree with is that a subcommittee of Parliament, made up of one person from each party, can simply veto a nominee, and it never comes to Parliament for a discussion and vote. One person from one party at that point can hold up the process and actually stop an appointment.
I agree that parties should be part of it. I do not speak for the government. I speak for myself. I do not like this process. I am wondering why the NDP did not propose the creation of a short list by members of different parties that would then go to the government, and the government would then name someone and it would come to Parliament.