SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 160

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 14, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 160 - Feb/14/23
Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Feb/14/23 3:00:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the use of contracts by the government, which is done independently, at arms length, by the public service, is something that is incredibly important in the provision of services. I would say to the member opposite that right now there are almost two million more Canadians who have jobs who did not when the Conservatives were there. There are 2.7 million Canadians who are not in poverty now, who were when the Conservatives were in power. The idea that progress is not being made is not substantiated by fact.
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Context: House Hansard - 160 - Feb/14/23
Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Feb/14/23 3:02:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on numerous occasions the member opposite has inferred that political interference would be something that they would engage in to tell the public service who they would engage in contracts. Let me say that, on this side of the House, we will tolerate no such action. The independence of the public service in engaging contracts is absolutely important. The number of conspiracy theories the member has peddled have been disproven in front of committee. There are forums on Reddit where he can continue to pursue these, but I would suggest that the House of Commons is not the appropriate forum.
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Context: House Hansard - 160 - Feb/14/23
Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Feb/14/23 3:04:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, embedded in the question is a false notion that I think all members, I would hope, would want to reject. That is that any member of Parliament is not completely and totally committed to Canadian democracy. The idea that there is anybody in the House who would tolerate foreign interference in any form is simply inaccurate and not appropriate to put forward as a supposition.
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Context: House Hansard - 160 - Feb/14/23
Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Feb/14/23 3:05:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think that we need to be very careful when we talk to one another about casting aspersions about our loyalty to this country and our loyalty to democracy. It is a presumption in every question we ask that every member is— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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Context: House Hansard - 160 - Feb/14/23
Hon. Mark Holland
  • Feb/14/23 3:05:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the supposition is that the member they are questioning, the minister they are questioning, is not loyal to her country, is not loyal to Canada or to our democracy, and is somehow subservient to a foreign force. Let me be very clear. I would not say this to any member on the other side. We may disagree on policy, but to suggest that anybody here is not loyal to our democracy, to try to cast aspersions on a member of this place, to say that they do not have this country at their core interests, is unacceptable.
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Context: House Hansard - 160 - Feb/14/23
Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Feb/14/23 3:07:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is completely unacceptable. There is no one in the House who is not loyal to our country. It is clear that not only the minister, but every member of the House is entirely loyal to Canada and to our democracy. It is unacceptable to say otherwise.
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