My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. In the wake of the scandal surrounding the government’s judicial appointments, we learned recently that a number of people were being asked to make comments and recommendations on whether or not certain people should be considered for judicial appointments. For instance, when a lawyer from Drummondville named Christine was being considered to fill a judicial vacancy, the former Liberal member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, Nicola Di Iorio, strongly opposed the appointment because, according to him, Christine was a separatist born into a family of separatists. As for her legal expertise, Mr. Di Iorio didn’t appear to have anything bad to say in that regard.

Do you think it’s appropriate that judicial appointments, an essential pillar of our justice system, are being considered in a context of discrimination based on the political convictions of candidates to be appointed as judges by the Minister of Justice?

Let’s not be naive. The minister may not have been pressured. However, if there is bias against the people on the short list submitted to the minister, and if their political persuasion is the basis for the decision, the process is flawed and discriminates against the candidates.

Do you know whether there was bias in the case of Christine from Drummondville, because her husband was a former Conservative candidate in the riding of Drummondville?