I wasn't done explaining my position, but I will retract my last two sentences.
I'm thinking about the way the government has acted. I remember when the Liberals were in opposition, back in 2009 and 2011. They would rant and rave, calling the Conservatives this and that, saying that we were out of our minds and our behaviour was appalling. Yet now they're behaving exactly as we were at the time, if not worse.
This is an act we're overhauling, not regulations. This isn't just about giving school boards an opportunity to acquire buildings. It's about much more than that. This is a constitutional act of Canada we're talking about.
Incidentally, I would also like to know if the Minister of Canadian Heritage has agreed to our request. The committee invited him too, but he hasn't responded yet, as far as I know. I think it's important for him to be there, because the Minister of Canadian Heritage is currently still responsible for implementing regulations that change randomly from one year to the next, depending on who's in power. We want this responsibility to be given to another department in future.
I think certain things need to be written into the act, and the best example I can think of is school boards outside Quebec, which should be allowed to acquire buildings. All they're asking for is the right of first refusal. To me, that seems like a perfectly standard, simple and feasible request. They're not asking to buy all federal buildings.
Mr. Chair, I think I'll stop there, because I can feel myself getting worked up. I'll let my colleagues take it from here.
Thank you.