Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Lac-Saint-Louis.
We see a debate take place today that necessitates some comments at the outset on the importance of democracy and the role of the official opposition within that democracy.
There is no democracy without a vibrant opposition. That much is true, particularly in the Westminster parliamentary tradition where the opposition, and especially the leader of the opposition, has an opportunity to engage directly with the government each day on matters of importance to the country. This is different from, for example, a presidential system where that direct engagement is less visible. It is one of the hallmarks of the parliamentary tradition that we have here in Canada and, of course, in Britain, where we borrowed the system from. I do not discount the importance of an official opposition. I do not discount the importance—