The very structures, the corridors, the rooms and offices, are eloquent testimony to our past. - John Allen Fraser

But while the American Constitution was the child of war, ours grew out of discussion, bargaining and negotiation.

The House Of Commons has never been a tea-party. It consists of strong-minded, often very idealistic people, who are trying to accomplish something for our country. We are inheritors of an adversarial system and that, in itself, fosters conflict.

The purpose of privilege is not to place parliamentarians above the law, but rather to allow them to carry out their duties independently and effectively, in the national interest.