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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 192

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 8, 2023 11:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 192 - May/8/23
Mr. Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP)
  • May/8/23 6:37:36 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, earlier today in question period, my colleague from New Westminster—Burnaby asked the government if there are any other MPs that it was aware of who may have had threats made against thems or their families and who had not been briefed. My impression was that we did not get a straight answer to what I thought was a very straightforward question. I wonder what the leader of the Conservative Party thinks about that, and whether he heard an answer where I could not. I am also curious about his thoughts about the Liberals' saying that this should not be a partisan circus. I totally agree with that, but I think the answer to that problem is to have a full public inquiry, to convene that quickly and to ensure that members across party lines are comfortable with the person heading that public inquiry. I invite him to reflect on that as well.
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Context: House Hansard - 192 - May/8/23
Mr. Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP)
  • May/8/23 7:38:31 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will start by saying that I certainly agree with the member that the level of politicization of these issues has not been helpful in getting to the truth. However, I would also say, which was reflected in my vote earlier and the vote of the New Democrats, as it has been at various times when we have presented motions and voted before for a public inquiry into this matter, that the best way to depoliticize the issue is to have a public inquiry. I would say further, for those of us who are genuinely concerned about the level of politicization of the issue, that it was frustrating today, right after question period, at which this was the subject of much debate and questions, to have the Minister of Foreign Affairs tweet out during our vote on the motion that the government was expelling the Chinese agent whose actions are in question and who is the subject of the motion. It feels as though, if the government were really trying to remove political gamesmanship from the issue, the minister would have been here for question period and stood up to inform the House directly of that decision during question period. Pardon me—
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Context: House Hansard - 192 - May/8/23
Mr. Daniel Blaikie
  • May/8/23 7:40:05 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I apologize for the error. It was an absent-minded error and was not intentional. However, it was an important announcement that the government tried to make from a point of order after question period, which it could very well have made during question period if it wanted to take some of the political gamesmanship out of it. I would ask the member why it was that the government made that decision around the timing of that announcement.
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Context: House Hansard - 192 - May/8/23
Mr. Daniel Blaikie
  • May/8/23 7:45:13 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, on a separate point of order, I noticed that, in his remarks, the member for Kingston and the Islands made reference to his presence or absence in the House, and seeing as he is a member of the House, I think he may—
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