It is shocking and appalling that one of the poster children for lack of democracy, the Canadian Senate, should one-up the government, and it's the same crew that has the majority control. There goes any possibility of saying “Yes, but...”.
Oh, speaking of Butt...anyway, that's another matter.
Imagine that. We live to see the day when the government managed to let our unappointed Senate be more democratic than the House they have majority control over. Imagine that. You can't even meet the standard set by the unelected Senate in terms of democracy, and you run that show too. What a joke.
All right, let's move along because I have lots and lots of stuff, and it would seem I have lots and lots of time, so let's move along.
We're posing the issue in our motion that we should be travelling. The question then is, why should we travel? What would be the point in that?
We are getting some comments from Canadians who are aware of what's going on and have expressed a view. Chair, I sent this back and I asked my staff to go through it to make sure I was only reading things that are relevant to the issue of travel, which speaks directly to my motion, and to ensure that I don't speak at all to the content of the bill. I'm sincere when I hope we will, and you'll be the arbitrator of that, but I'm just letting you know ahead of time that I have great reliance on the crackerjack staff we have, and on the fact that you are a fair-minded person. This should go well, so let's try it.
Why cross-country hearings? Jamie Biggar said, “Because Canadians deserve to have a say in a law that impacts our basic democratic rights.” I realize that Jamie is repeating something I said, but it would seem to me that hearing that message from Canadians is very different from hearing it from me.
I already read Emma Pullman's comments.
Glenn Denholm said:
Because in this day and age the people should have MORE and not REDUCED access to what is going on behind closed doors.
Rodrigo NoEnbridge Samayoa said:
Because voting is the most basic right in a democracy. It is one of the elements that separates Canada from a dictatorship. Many people have died so we can have this right, it is our responsibility to protect this right. That is why all Canadians should have a say in what Harpers suppression bill contains. Please approve the country-wide hearings!
Why cross-country hearings?
James Coccola said, “Because the public should be included in something as important as changes to the election act”. James gets it.
Sheila Strickland, on why we need cross-country hearings, said:
Because no one has asked for citizens' opinions! Again! Harper thinks he can just ram through massive changes to how our country functions...last time I checked, that's not how democracy worked.
Helen Brown said:
This change to our election laws needs to be aired and understood: we remain Canadians, so far, and we should be encouraging all democratic rights, such as the right to peaceful assembly, such as the right to vote: I have had to help handicapped people at polling stations, and the elderly. Information about where to vote should not be in the hands of the incumbent only. Canadians are not aware of the rationale behind this move by the Conservatives, nor are they aware of the implications. This needs cross-country hearings.
Lisa M. Williamson said, in part: “Cross-country hearings will encourage Canadians to get involved in politics and to go to the polls to have their opinions heard.”
Michael Cowtan said:
We do not want to exclude any person from exercising their democratic right to vote in a free society. The point of this law is to exclude the poor and anyone else who does not vote conservative, and I deserve the right to voice this opinion in public at a public hearing