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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 298

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 11, 2024 10:00AM
  • Apr/11/24 12:58:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am rising to respond to a question of privilege from the member for La Prairie with respect to announcing certain policy initiatives. Page 899 of the third edition of House of Commons Procedure and Practice states, “Speakers have maintained that [budget] secrecy is a matter of parliamentary convention rather than one of privilege.” On November 18, 1981, in relation to budget secrecy, Speaker Sauvé noted, “[budget] secrecy has no impact on the privileges of a member”, and goes on to say, “but [further]...has nothing to do with [the] privilege.” The House will have opportunities to consider the budget when it is properly before the House. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance has announced that she will be presenting the budget to the House at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16. Following the presentation of the budget, the House will have four days of debate, and the opposition parties will be able to move an amendment and a subamendment to the budget motion. Following a vote on the main motion for the budget, the House will consider a ways and means motion, and, following its adoption, will see the introduction of the budget implementation bill. Where privilege arises is the period between when notice is given of the budget bill and its subsequent introduction. However, if the measures to be contained in the budget implementation bill are tabled in the form of a notice of ways and means motion while the bill is on notice, members of the House will already have the contents of the budget implementation bill to consider, which by its very tabling in the House of Commons obviates the ability to raise an associated question of privilege. Budget secrecy is a matter of convention. The executive has the right and the ability to communicate with Canadians about proposed budget measures in advance of the tabling of the budget. This represents the fundamental right of the duly elected government to present its plan to Canadians about how it will help them, as is the case with the Speech from the Throne. These are policy proposals, and their announcement does not, in any way, interfere with the rights of the members of the House. The matter in no way interferes with the rights and privileges of members, as has been established by precedent. Perhaps it is due to the popularity of the proposals with the public that the member may seem be taking some offence.
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  • Apr/11/24 2:01:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last weekend, I was out door knocking in my riding of Niagara West, and next door, in the riding of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek was our Conservative candidate Ned Kuruc. The topic that came up most was the cost of living. Folks at the doors said that the basics are getting too expensive and that things are getting worse. Many cannot pay their monthly bills. They are getting further and further behind. It is difficult to pay the mortgage. It is difficult to pay the rent. Grocery prices are through the roof. Gas prices continue to go up. Utility bills for home heating are getting ridiculous. When all is said and done, paycheques do not cover the bills at the end of the month. Most people said that the policies of the Liberal government and the Prime Minister have put them in the financial position they are in. Higher carbon taxes, inflation caused by reckless spending and high interest rates all create the perfect storm to drain the family budget. However, if we were to ask those guys across the aisle, they would deny causing any of it. It is mind-boggling. They have been in government for more than eight years, and they are responsible for all of it. For my constituents of Niagara West, the Liberals are just not worth the cost.
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  • Apr/11/24 2:24:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, to the already overly long list of this Liberal government's failures, we can add extravagant use of public funds and squandering of Quebeckers' dollars. This government spends Canadians' money like water. For the past eight years, it has had no budgetary discipline, causing the debt to double. It has not balanced a single budget, yet it wants to handle provincial issues. Quebec Premier François Legault has made it clear that this government needs to mind its own business. Will it listen, yes or no?
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  • Apr/11/24 3:04:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost or corruption. In the past year, the government has spent over $21 billion on outside consultants. Rather than helping struggling Canadians, he is focused on making Liberal insiders richer. It is no shock that the Liberal-favoured GC Strategies, which pocketed $20 million for doing nothing on arrive scam, was founded in the same year he took office. Will the Prime Minister commit to cutting all waste and corruption in the upcoming budget, or will he continue to make more Liberal insiders rich?
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