SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Member of Parliament

Randall Garrison

  • Member of Parliament
  • Member of Parliament
  • NDP
  • Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke
  • British Columbia
  • Voting Attendance: 67%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $148,586.11

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 157 - Feb/9/23
Mr. Randall Garrison (Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, NDP)
  • Feb/9/23 1:49:09 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, the hon. member seems to share one of my concerns. In the debate today, we do not spend much time talking about human rights. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is about human rights, and the notwithstanding clause is about avoiding respecting human rights and avoiding doing the hard work that would be necessary. I wonder if he would reflect a bit more on the importance of human rights in this debate today.
76 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 157 - Feb/9/23
Mr. Randall Garrison
  • Feb/9/23 12:04:10 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, one thing this debate does today is allow us to bring public attention to the fact that this was never the way the notwithstanding clause was intended to operate, and to remind Canadians that we have to be vigilant to protect our rights and have to be vigilant in making sure that suspending rights does not become the normal course of action for certain governments in this country.
70 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 157 - Feb/9/23
Mr. Randall Garrison
  • Feb/9/23 12:02:30 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, the only thing I can say to that is there is an internal contradiction in the argument that was made when the member said that Quebec's recognition as a nation and Quebec's rights are enshrined. They are in this country, and they are recognized by virtually everyone in this chamber. I am not sure how the reference to the need for a notwithstanding clause has anything to do with the rights that are already recognized and enshrined when it comes to Quebec.
86 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 157 - Feb/9/23
Mr. Randall Garrison
  • Feb/9/23 12:00:41 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question because he raises the concern that I was getting at. If it becomes part of our political culture that we can use the notwithstanding clause willy-nilly and pre-emptively, there will be a temptation for certain political actors and political leaders to attempt to appeal to segments of the population by offering to use the notwithstanding clause to respond to their concerns about public policy. That is very dangerous, and I would not like to see us go down a road where we consider suspending rights to be a normal part of the Canadian political regime.
107 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border