Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I appreciate that.
We'll return to where we were. I would just point out, as I've indicated already, that I don't necessarily subscribe to everything that is being said in these emails. I don't question anyone's sincerity, I guess. They would be working on Fridays, doing other things. It's not about that, for me.
I believe there's already a provision in place that if an MP isn't here on any day that Parliament is sitting, unless—and they have to sign off on this—they are conducting official public business, their pay is docked. If they're not here and are not on public business, not attending something, a meeting somewhere else, their pay is docked.
What I can say is that I've always, every Friday, either been here or been working on some kind of public business elsewhere in my constituency, or elsewhere. But the point I'm making here is that when you cancel the Friday for all of Parliament, what you're doing is you're cancelling question period. You're cancelling the sitting of Parliament. That's very different from some MPs not being here on a specific day. Obviously, we all know that on a Tuesday, maybe, you've been asked to go give a speech somewhere else in the country, and you do that. It doesn't mean we should shut down Parliament because one or two MPs can't be here. That's a disingenuous point.
I'm going to read some more of these emails. I think it's important. These are different perspectives from different people, but they all seem to come back to the same point, from what I've seen so far. What I'm reading hasn't been pre-screened. I haven't necessarily read these particular emails in advance, although I have read some.
This one says the following: “As a Canadian citizen, I strongly disagree with the Liberals' proposed changes to permanently shut down Parliament on Fridays and limit debate time. Canada is a democratic country, and democracy stands for freedom of speech. I've been following up the Parliament's debates, and it is very obvious that the Liberal government is struggling with providing honest and informative answers to MPs. It seems like everyone from the Liberal Party has memorized the same phrases that talk about middle class and have no meaning.
“Justin Trudeau either does not show up for questions or, if he does, and decides to take a question, he cannot answer it. This is disgrace to the Canadian government. A good leader leads by example. Liberals want Fridays off when the whole nation has to work on Fridays. On top of that, they want to keep their salaries. The message I am getting from the leaders of my beloved Canada is that they don't want to work. They don't care about people. They are lazy and not accountable for their poor performance. They betrayed me during the election.”
I think this person meant to say “lied to me during the election”.
The email continues: “They left us people alone. This is not the government I wish for my country. Justin Trudeau wants less time in Parliament to avoid embarrassment. My advice would be to do some homework. Learn how to be a leader, truly listen to your people—and I mean all people. You need to listen to all....For a country to succeed you need wealthy businesses and a strong middle class. With the current politics, wealth is going everywhere except Canada. Selling Canada to China is not going to help our budget.
“I've been living in Canada for the last 30 years. It took me a while to feel at home here, but Canada was very good to me. I built a great life for me and my kids. However, this is starting to be harder and harder since the Liberals won the last election. I hope for Canada's great future, and can't wait till the next election. I will vote Conservative, which over many years, and most of all now, shows determination in making Canada strong and a land of many opportunities, as it used to be.
“I have been listening to how you plan to change Parliament to suit the Liberal caucus. As a voter, I am afraid I am strongly against this. You were voted in to show up five days a week, with many weeks available for you to be in your constituency. You voted yourself a raise and now want less hours. Not on my dime.”
Now, I don't think anyone actually did vote themselves a raise, so that person obviously misunderstood on that point, but so be it.
The email continues: “I do expect the PM to be in question period also, as many have been before him—not that he ever answers anything that is asked, but it is his job to be there. You are also trying to limit speech in the House—unacceptable, I am afraid. Debate is the foundation of any democratic nation. How dare you take that away? The Liberals are trying to make Canada into a dictatorship. Well, not on my dime. We the people pay your salary, and with the amount of discontent that's building you'd better line up for another job. We the people will be sure you do not get a second term. I will expect a 'no' vote on this ridiculous change. Grow up or find another job.”
Again, sometimes there are things that I don't completely agree with, but I think the point that people are making here is that they expect the Prime Minister and the government to be accountable. They expect them to show up to do their job. They think that this is really an attempt to avoid accountability. When you start using words like “dictatorship”, that obviously is going a bit far, but I also understand the sentiment, in a way. It's avoiding accountability, right?
This is a fairly short one here. It states: “Ladies and gentlemen, I am absolutely disgusted with the sheer arrogance of the Liberal Party. Considering the amount of taxpayer money that Justin Trudeau feels completely at liberty to spend as freely as he so desires, I, for one, believe he should be at work Monday to Friday, unless of course his spending habits and paycheque are going to reflect his proposed, one-day-a-week proposed work schedule.
“As for the rest of the Liberal Party, who would like to lessen their load by permanently taking Fridays off, I, as a Canadian taxpayer, am your employer. If you feel the scrutiny that you and your colleagues are experiencing because of your poor decisions or your unwillingness to listen to the people, who placed you in the offices you now hold, is too much for you to handle, why don't you submit your resignation and take the rest of the week off as well? You're paid to be in Parliament and make yourselves available to answer for your decisions that were completely unilateral. How dare you try and take away my right to hold you accountable? Billions of dollars are at stake—billions—and you, as a group of people, have proven yourselves lacking.
“I am proud to be a Canadian. I am not proud to have Justin Trudeau as the leader of our nation. He is not worthy of the position he holds. He and you, ladies and gentlemen of the Liberal Party, promised a transparency that you said was not seen in the previous government, yet here you are collectively and actively trying to make it impossible for Canadians to get real answers. This is not because you are hiding behind pretty words, which you were already doing. No, you won't be answering the questions Canadians have about your leadership because you just won't be there.
“Trust in these words right now. Your actions will have dire consequences in 2019 if you continue on this path with Justin Trudeau as your incompetent leader: 2019 will be a reckoning.”
Again, I think some of that is amped up a bit, but it points to the fact that there's a feeling that there's not an example of trying to be accountable from this Prime Minister and this government.
This next one I haven't read, but it starts with, “I'm a member of the Parti Québécois”. I'll read it, because it's a good way of making a point. I think there could be some reason for people to believe that maybe it's just a bunch of members of the Conservative Party who are not happy with the Liberal Party, and that's why they're writing these letters, but it's clearly not what this is. This is just Canadians spontaneously writing and showing concern.
She's from Montreal, Quebec, and says the following: “Hi. I'm a member of the Parti Québécois. I heard about the motion concerning the shutdown of Parliament on Fridays and other changes about rules and debates, a change that would permanently limit debate and scrutiny on their bills. I'm outraged to see this clandestine initiative asked by you. We are living in a country with democracy, and not in a dictatorship regime. What are you trying to do, by the way? Are you changing the regime to a dictatorship where democracy will be gone? I object to everything that you will try to do concerning the shutdown of the Parliament, and about changing the rules and debates, and about the sneaky reversal of our democracy.
“As a Canadian citizen, I object to such changes, which will only create negative impacts on our democracy for which we fought so hard. I'm asking you to abolish that motion that indicates these changes.”
Obviously she is expressing concern about accountability, and doing so with some pretty strong language. She is making the same point that all the other emails that I've been reading are making. They all feel that the Prime Minister and the government are trying to avoid being held accountable.
Here's another one. It states: “I am saddened and disappointed to hear that the Liberal Party is secretly trying to change our democratic processes, and in such a way as to reduce Canadians' ability to hold the government to account.
“For example, the Liberals are quietly seeking to: eliminate Friday sittings, or to make them a full day rather than the current half day; set only one day aside each week for the prime minister to answer questions during question period; lengthen the time the government can take to answer MPs’ written questions to 65 days from 45 days; prevent opposition members from filibustering by bringing forward debatable motions; prevent filibusters and possibly shorten debate time on government bills by having pre-set times to discuss and pass legislation through in the House; allow omnibus bills to be debated and studied despite a Liberal promise to the contrary, but hold separate votes on the unrelated subjects included in the bills; allow parliamentary secretaries to take on a greater role at committee; prevent filibusters at committee through a 10-minute speech limit; introduce electronic voting in the Commons; and allow more time to debate private members’ business.
“I ask that you reverse your decision on this matter so that Canadians can still feel confident that our rights aren't diminished. Moreover, if the Liberal plan to reduce our democratic rights is implemented, I will remember this come election day.
“You are elected by the people and for the people. This attempt to subvert our democratic processes, in my opinion, is not what the people want. If you do act according to your own interests, we can certainly make the necessary changes come the next election, so again, I request that you stop”—the word “stop” is in all capitals—“this plan to restrict the democratic process and leave the processes we already have in place. I request your urgent attention to this matter.”
Again, it raises the ideas of subverting the democratic process and avoiding accountability. It makes the same threat—and “threat” is not really the right word, but I'll use it, because it's the best I have—to get rid of these Liberal MPs in the next election if they don't do what the author feels is appropriate in terms of democracy and holding the government accountable.
This next one focuses on Fridays, wages, and so on. I agree with the comments that were made that people can do other work, but question period is the point here, and the ability to hold government accountable. I'll pass that one by, because I don't feel it's fair to continue to read that sort of stuff as a stand-alone.
The next one reads as follows: “Dear Liberal MP leaders, I am embarrassed to say that I wanted change in the last election, so I took a chance on the Liberals and voted for Justin Trudeau. It has been something that I have regretted for well over a year. Justin Trudeau is not working for Canadians, he is working for himself. He doesn't care what Canadians want, and he is trying to change our respected democracy into a dictatorship.
“As Liberal MPs you have a choice to make. You can continue down this path with Trudeau, be hated by the Canadian people, and never be voted in again; or you can stand up to Trudeau and do what you were elected to do: stand up for the people of Canada. After the lies, increased taxes, and billion-dollar debt, many Canadians are vowing to NEVER”—and “never” is in capitals— “vote Liberal again.
“What you are trying to do right now in the House of Commons is wrong, sneaky, and not what is in the best interest of Canadians. A dictatorship government is not what anybody signed up for, and talk about going backwards. MPs should be working five days a week, as many Canadians have to work, and even more now to try to pay for our over-the-top high bills.
“Motions and bills need to be debated in the House of Commons. It's part of our government and part of being a democracy. You can't just change the rules because the Liberals are in power. Canadians do not want this, and we were not consulted or asked about these changes to the way our government runs.
“Polls are showing that Liberal approval is continuing to plummet. Canadians do not trust their majority Liberal government, no matter what party they belong to. Stop this back-dealing in the House of Commons. I can vow today, in how Trudeau is behaving, and the Liberals, there is no chance I would ever trust a Liberal politician to keep his or her promise or to ever do what's right for Canadians.”
It's just signed, “From Ontario”. It doesn't say where in Ontario, but somewhere in Ontario.
I think it's important to note something. When I started to read these emails, I'm sure there were some Liberals MPs—I could see a lot of activity happening on that side—uncomfortable with it and I think trying to find a way to stop them from being read. They are pretty damning and critical. Some of them may be even over the top, but they are certainly very critical, and all with those same themes.
I'm sure there was probably some, “Well, gee, they're probably all Conservative members. Maybe Mr. Richards asked them to write these letters.” But I can tell you that from the names I've seen so far, there hasn't even been one from my province, that I've seen, not one from my constituency. I don't recognize any of the names. They are not people I know. So that's not what it is. I would like to believe I have lots of friends, but these are in the thousands. I don't know if I have that many friends.
One was from the Parti Québécois. This one obviously indicated that even though she had voted for change, for Justin Trudeau, in the last election, she was now embarrassed, and it was something she was regretting. She was saying that she doesn't really think Justin Trudeau is working for Canadians; he's working for himself. But she did vote for him in the last election, so she has obviously had a real change of opinion.
I understand that. I get why people.... As I mentioned earlier, the Prime Minister has some phrases you kind of remember. He pulls the strings and he says the things that sound wonderful. He has nice hair and all these things. People like him. Then they watch him in action and he doesn't really accomplish much. He doesn't really do what he said he was going to do. His actions don't match his words. They start to feel disappointed.