Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think I alluded to loans and unpaid claims. Loans become unpaid claims after three years. In my view this is a very good attempt to come to grips with the problem which exists when you have a regime that regulates money as well as the Canadian system does. Frankly, our system

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to thank the clerk as well as the translators for the translation of the text you are about to receive. Good morning, also, to all of the members of the committee. I would also like to thank two people who shall remain nameless, who are good

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I believe that what I have proposed would improve the situation. However, I do not believe it would permanently solve the problem. As I told you earlier, the federal act is exemplary and well thought of outside Canada. I would say it levels the playing field. An act cannot guara

Procedure and House Affairs committee  That candidate could not go and get $50,000 unless the EDA had agreed to the amount.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  For leadership, the party would have set that limit and it would have to live with it. It has to set the rules. It's not a perfect solution. I don't live in a perfect world.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The only comment I have is what I said previously. The party establishes the criteria by which you're admitted into the contestant ranks. It's a matter of providing fairness in establishing those criteria, but not perfect access.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Yes.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  This is just to say that whatever change you make, there will be unintended consequences. The simpler the system, the fewer the unintended consequences, but as Marshall McLuhan also said, it will provide you with a serendipity of opportunities.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  By the way, from the questions you were raising with the previous witness, I think you should run for the leadership of the party.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Obviously I agree with that, because I indicated that we obtain some information at the time but that we don't get to verify that information necessarily. You don't get access to the paper documentation that will allow you to feel secure about the judgment you're making, so yes,

Procedure and House Affairs committee  From my 17 years at the helm, I don't remember a lot of concern.... I shouldn't put it that way. I did not hear a lot from independent candidates who said the rules were too severe. I did hear from the Communist Party that the thousand dollars down was an issue. That becomes an

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Yes, I do. I indicated that I did agree with that, sir.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think it facilitates the picking up of money afterward, from people who are supportive.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The party would be facing the fact of probably having no candidates, or only one or two able to come forward, only the ones able to pick up money to launch the thing. That would be a decision by the political party, and it would have to face the music from the Canadian public for

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I don't see this decision being made by a party official or a party bureaucrat. I see it being made by the executive of the party, the elected people who run the party, so that a true leadership race takes place.