Evidence of meeting #117 for Canadian Heritage in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was point.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As I was saying before I was interrupted, it's really important to me and the constituency that I represent that they—the members of my constituency, the residents in my community—know and understand that their member of Parliament stands up against hate and anti-Semitism in all of its forms, and that I am committed to working with all parliamentarians regardless of their political stripe. I'm sorry that saying that working with other parliamentarians may cause others some harm, but I think it's important for us to do that, to work with other parliamentarians across political lines to fight anti-Semitism.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Rachael Thomas Conservative Lethbridge, AB
That is exactly what this motion seeks to do. It invites the members around this table to participate in the condemnation of anti-Semitism.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
5:20 p.m.
An hon. member
It's been seven times in a row. There's a pattern here.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Kevin Waugh
Hold on.
Mr. Coteau, you don't have the floor.
Mr. Noormohamed, please...to the motion. Thank you.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I go back to what I was saying. It's important for members of my community and of communities across this country to know that we are all in the fight, or we should all be in the fight, against anti-Semitism together.
It is one thing to protest. Protest is important. It's a part of who we are, but it is not okay for those protests to be anti-Semitic, to call for the deaths of anyone or to celebrate violence or acts of violence. It's also equally important to make sure that we approach this in a way that isn't about scoring political points, and that we recognize that, by working together across parties, across....
This is, again, unbelievable.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Rachael Thomas Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Again there's an accusation being thrown out there that political points are being scored, but—
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
There was no accusation, Mr. Chair. This is not a point of order, again.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Rachael Thomas Conservative Lethbridge, AB
—the Liberals have held the floor for over 20 minutes in a filibuster, and so I'm curious as to their motivation. I invite them to allow this to come to a vote so that, together, we can stand against anti-Semitism.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
Mr. Chair, first of all, we would not be in this situation—
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
I want to be very clear, Mr. Chair. I would not have to explain any of this had Ms. Thomas not put on social media things that represented my position and the position of my colleagues. Had this been an honest conversation about the urgent need for all of us to come together on a motion that skipped the politicization and went clearly to the heart of the issue that we need to be talking about, which is the fight against anti-Semitism, we wouldn't be in this position today. I think it's important for us to take out the preambles, assertions and value judgments about newspapers being sources, and actually say that this committee is unequivocally united in its support for the fight against anti-Semitism, and that fight is one that must be taken on by all. That is something I believe every single member of this committee would stand for. What I find deeply troubling is that this is not the first time, Mr. Chair, that some have chosen to use social media to grossly misrepresent the views of people on this side, of others, and to seek to try to foment discord in communities that are already hurting.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
Mr. Chair, that's just unparliamentary. I'm sorry, but that is—
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
What is unparliamentary, Mr. Lawrence, about saying that we need to work together? Please tell me.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
I will. You said that we were fomenting disagreement amongst communities. That is unparliamentary [Inaudible—Editor]
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
That's not a point of order, and I'm so pleased Mr. Lawrence raised that because—
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Kevin Waugh
Can I bring you all back here?
Mr. Lawrence, thank you.
Mr. Noormohamed, the floor is yours. Can we talk to the motion?
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Lawrence asserted that my comment was somehow made out of fancy, so let me clarify that for Mr. Lawrence in my comments. Immediately after a social media post was made, which completely misrepresented what happened in the room and my position on something, I received letters from members of the Jewish community asking what actually happened, asking why the accusation that Ms. Thomas made had been made, so I spent time.... I'm glad to do this, speaking to people I care about, my constituents, explaining to them that, in fact, what Ms. Thomas asserted in social media didn't even happen, and so—