Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate Mr. MacGregor's bringing this motion forward.
I spent four hours in Coutts this weekend trying to get that blockade opened and I was certainly having discussions with many of the folks down there. I'm just wondering if we could propose two amendments, and I have spoken to Mr. MacGregor about this. The one amendment I would suggest is that before the word “blockades”—so where it says, “Agri-Food calls for the immediate end of”—we add the word “illegal”.
The reason I want to put that in there is that in the discussions with many of the folks down at the blockade in Coutts—and some are my constituents—they didn't really understand that what they were doing was illegal. They're protesting and certainly making a point, but the second they leave the side of the road and start blocking a critical piece of infrastructure and the trade corridor in Coutts, they've gone from a peaceful legal protest into an illegal blockade. So I think that word “illegal” is critical to highlight to those who are blocking the borders that what they're doing is an illegal activity.
The second amendment that I would like to propose is an addition. At the end, after “illegal blockades at Canada's border crossings”, I'd like to add this phrase: “and for the government to present a plan to Canadians for the lifting of COVID-19 federal mandates and restrictions.”
The reason I think we should add that in there, Mr. Chair, is that these blockades are happening in protest against the mandates. Again, from my the discussions with the folks down there, I know that all they are asking for is a clear path and some metrics on how and when those mandates are going to be lifted. I think all of us are getting the calls and emails from very frustrated constituents. We keep going back and forth on the mandates. They're on, they're off. They're on, they're off, and it's taking a toll, and these folks who are down there—and I'm assuming at many of these other blockades—what they want is a clear path to when these mandates are going to be removed. These mandates are the reason these blockades are there.
I think that should be an important part of that motion. Other than that, with those two additions, I think we would have no problems supporting this.
Thanks, Mr. Chair.