SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 93

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 21, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 93 - Jun/21/22
Mr. Denis Trudel (Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, BQ)
  • Jun/21/22 11:12:04 a.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-21 
Madam Speaker, I am getting sick and tired of hearing the government call out the opposition for doing its job. The Liberal government has moved a series of closure motions in the past month and is now blaming the Conservatives and the Bloc for the lack of progress. The government cannot criticize the opposition for doing its job. It cannot criticize members on this side of the House for asking questions. The government keeps imposing closure because it cannot manage its own legislative agenda, even with the support of the NDP. I listen to my NDP friends during question period, and I am not sure if they have noticed this, but no one listens to their questions anymore. No one is interested in what they have to say. They should give us their questions. Ever since they cozied up to the government, no one is interested in what they have to say. They criticize us for obstructing our work here, even though we are here to ask questions. That is what we have been doing since the beginning of this session.
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Context: House Hansard - 93 - Jun/21/22
Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)
  • Jun/21/22 11:17:01 a.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-21 
Madam Speaker, I completely agree with the member for Longueuil—Saint-Hubert that invoking closure over and over again sets a dangerous precedent. I am someone who has been in the House long enough to remember when time allocation was rare. When Stephen Harper started bringing it in over and over again, I counted. I put to the ministers then that between 1920 and 2000, we had seen these kinds of debates 40 times, and in the previous 18 months we had seen them 40 times. I would urge my hon. friends in the Liberal Party and in the NDP to consider what we are doing here. When we make time allocation routine, it means that the next government in the next session will weaponize it further, and the rights of individual MPs to debate bills properly will be further eroded. I ask them to please not do this thing.
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Context: House Hansard - 93 - Jun/21/22
Mr. Arnold Viersen
  • Jun/21/22 11:25:09 a.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-21 
Madam Speaker, at page 662 of Bosc and Gagnon, it states: The intent of the question-and-answer period after closure motion has been moved is to promote ministerial accountability, and it provides an opportunity for the government to justify its use of this measure. This is not an opportunity for the fourth party in this place to hold the opposition to account.
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Context: House Hansard - 93 - Jun/21/22
Ms. Elizabeth May
  • Jun/21/22 4:28:14 p.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-21 
Madam Speaker, I thank my Bloc colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé. I think that closure, or time allocation, is wrong and undermines our democracy. We need to take the time to really examine the issues. Bill C-21 is important. I think I support it, but it raises a number of issues on which I may want to see amendments, particularly regarding law-abiding citizens who use recreational firearms. We must make every effort to come up with solutions together. That is why I oppose closure motions.
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