Mr. Chair, it's a pleasure to be back in the House. This chamber is effectively the beating heart of our Canadian democracy. Unfortunately, the heartbeat of this place is suffering a prolonged arrhythmia, brought on by the disgraceful neutering of responsible government by a Liberal minority, aided and abetted by the NDP, who voted for closure not only of debate but of Parliament until late September.
Folks watching this temporary committee at home may think they're watching a parliamentary sitting. It is anything but. It will take more than the defibrillators scattered around this building to shock this place back to life and enable the holding of this hubristic Liberal government to account through the continuing COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
That's what Canadians expect. That's what Canadians deserve. Canada remains in crisis. The heart of our democracy should be beating on all cylinders, with appropriate health and safety protocols.
Please excuse the mixed metaphor.