Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my esteemed and very competent colleague from Laurentides—Labelle.
Let me say right away that we agree. Parliament has the power to demand documents. Its only limitation is the good judgment of the House. Whether or not the RCMP decides to use the documents is up to the RCMP. As far as we are concerned, demanding documents and providing them is not interference in the judicial branch; it is providing the tools that the judicial branch may or may not need.
This is clearly not interference. If this counts as interference in the judicial branch, then anyone who happens to find a gun and turns it over to the RCMP would be interfering in the judicial branch. If, tomorrow morning, I found a bloody weapon and turned it over to the RCMP, since I am a legislator, I would be interfering in the judicial branch. It is a fine line, but we are nowhere near that line.
The government is mixing things up. More importantly, it wants to limit the powers of the members of this House, the elected officials who represent the entire population.
We are not directing the police, and we are not a people's court, either. I would also remind all members of the House that we are not judges, a jury, witnesses or a tribunal. It is imperative that we maintain that separation.
I am confident that the motion as amended respects judicial, legislative and executive powers.