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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 191

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 4, 2023 10:00AM
  • May/4/23 11:56:26 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to express that I appreciate the member sharing her personal story and recognize that, at the end of the day, it is important that we— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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  • May/4/23 11:56:40 a.m.
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A point of order from the hon. member for Kingston and the Islands.
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  • May/4/23 11:56:44 a.m.
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You have made the point, Mr. Speaker, that the member has the floor. The member who gave the incredibly passionate speech has a right to hear what that question is.
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  • May/4/23 11:56:53 a.m.
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I have a point of order from the hon. deputy whip of the Conservative Party.
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  • May/4/23 11:56:58 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there have been ongoing demands today for the hon. members in the Liberal caucus to withdraw the comments they made about the member for Wellington—Halton Hills. They continually said that he was briefed about this two years ago and that he did not inform his family, the Conservative caucus or anybody about it. It is unconscionable, and the members across the way should be gentlemen, stand up and apologize.
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  • May/4/23 11:57:22 a.m.
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I was just getting here so I did not know the context of what was going on, but the hon. member for Winnipeg North has the floor.
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  • May/4/23 11:57:40 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is important that we recognize a couple of facts. The first is that we are not just talking about China. The second issue is that many members of Parliament, and we are talking about 49 members of Parliament in 2022, and there were members of Parliament before— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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  • May/4/23 11:58:04 a.m.
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We have a point of order from the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre.
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  • May/4/23 11:58:04 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is very hard to be able to think when I am being— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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  • May/4/23 11:58:09 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is the second time I have risen in the House today. We are talking about the state of democracy. My colleague just spoke about how what is going on is impacting her as a Chinese woman in this country and the importance of working together in a non-partisan way across party lines to deal with it. In the midst of this, I have to listen to members across the way name-call each other. There are young people here. We are talking about democracy, about the fact that we have a right to have different opinions in this House. We still have an obligation to be respectful, including to this member, who shared personal stories. I am deeply offended, and I would like people in the House to remember this and to act like civilized beings, because we are all supposed to be here fighting for democracy together.
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  • May/4/23 11:59:08 a.m.
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That was not a point of order. I appreciate the sentiment, of course, of making sure that our debate remains civil and calm. I know many of the debates that come before us are extremely important, as this debate is today. I just want to make sure that the debate continues in a respectful manner. On a point of order, the hon. member for Foothills.
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  • May/4/23 11:59:35 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the point of order from my colleague, I do agree that her colleague gave an excellent speech talking about the impact on Canada's Chinese community, as well as the impact that it is certainly having on her and her family. The point of all this is that we have members across the floor who are victim-blaming the member for Wellington—Halton Hills, saying the information he has provided is not credible. What kind of message is that sending to Chinese Canadians when we should be standing up for them here, fighting on their behalf and saying that not only members of Parliament but also every Canadian should be protected? It is clear that they are making a choice on the other side of the floor. I am not trying to be overly partisan, but that is what is happening. Rather than standing on the side of a Canadian and his family who have been obviously threatened, they are choosing to attack him as a victim by victim-blaming and gaslighting. That is not the message we should be sending to Chinese Canadians or any Canadians. The government should be standing up for them, rather than defending an agent of Beijing.
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  • May/4/23 12:00:37 p.m.
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Again, we are descending into the debate that we are actually having here today. Still on the same point of order, the hon. member for Battlefords—Lloydminster.
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  • May/4/23 12:00:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on this point of order, the double standard is so frustrating. As members of Parliament, we are being told to stop being partisan and that we are hyperpartisan. What is happening on the other side? They are accusing the member for Wellington—Halton Hills for knowing about this for two years when that is not true. Can we all put the partisanship aside, actually work together and stand for this democracy?
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  • May/4/23 12:01:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, I think the Conservative Party needs to review what has taken place in the last number of question periods and then look in the mirror. There has been a politicization of the issue. If we were to stand up now and elaborate on those things, I think it is very disruptive to the member who just gave a speech. I would like to be able to start over and—
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  • May/4/23 12:01:53 p.m.
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All right. We are still on the point of order. I had said this would be the last point of order, but I will allow another. We could do this all day and not debate the bill. That is what we are falling into, by the looks of it. The hon. member for Battlefords—Lloydminster.
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  • May/4/23 12:02:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what I was referring to. If we rewind the tapes to earlier today, that specific member said that the member for Wellington—Halton Hills had known for two years and he has done nothing about the issue. That is not true. That is misleading Canadians, and it is misleading this House. It is unconscionable that he is doing that. Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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  • May/4/23 12:02:53 p.m.
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Order. That’s enough. We are going to have one more round of this, and then we will move on to the questions and comments that we originally planned to do. The hon. member for Kingston and the Islands.
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  • May/4/23 12:03:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yes, the member from the NDP who spoke gave a very passionate speech about dialing back the partisanship on this. I would completely agree with her. I think that what we are trying to convey is that accusations that the Prime Minister has known about this for two years are completely false as well. If we listen to what is being said on both sides, in the interest of genuinely dialing back the partisanship on this, perhaps we can all start from a point of not making those assumptions.
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  • May/4/23 12:03:58 p.m.
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The hon. member for Oshawa.
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