Yes, he was.
At that time, who would have thought that David, the boy, the prophet, was going to write some wonderful psalms that still inspire poetry around the world today? He would have been silenced. He would have been told that he had nothing to say, that he had to drop his weapon and not throw the stone, not challenge the giant. What should I do today? My question to you is: who is the giant and who is David? Let your conscience be your guide.
Furthermore, we do not have the right, nor is it healthy, to muzzle those we think or consider to be on the margins. I am here to say that I refuse to do that. This letter motivates me.
Here is the picture. A majority party in the House—let's call it Goliath—is trying to eliminate the only possibility that independent MPs have—why not call them David—or members of recognized political parties with fewer members, to introduce amendments, to express their views and to vote on the issues.
Let me add that the number of time allocation motions introduced by this government in the House is unprecedented in Canadian history. This government is afraid to let people speak. Yet listening to people is one of the greatest assets and qualities in a true leader. This government is clearly impatient and has decided to recreate our country in its own image and to refuse to listen to the parliamentarians who were duly elected by Canadians. That is no small matter.
When I talk to my constituents—my true bosses, the people who elected me in the riding of Pontiac—I tell them straight out that I did not have an opportunity to speak to the bill because the government decided that I did not have a right to speak. They are not very happy with that; they are upset. I understand why. They trusted me and they trusted my party, so I want to be ready and able to speak when I feel that my constituents need me to do so.
Mr. Chair, I will leave it at that. Thank you for giving me time to talk about this crucial democracy issue. I also thank my colleagues for their attention and I thank the Canadians watching us on television.