Thank you, Chair.
First and foremost, I'm happy that we're back on track and actually putting forward a resolution to the problem that continues to be brought forward by my Conservative colleagues. Again, we have a solution to the problem, and instead of voting in favour of the solution, the Conservatives are finding every way to filibuster this committee and get the clips they want to be able to fundraise immediately, even during this committee. This is another example.
I can guarantee that as soon as I stop talking, there's going to be another subamendment brought forward and another subamendment brought forward, each one as illegitimate as the one before it. I can guarantee that each subamendment is going to be talking about the pensions of members of Parliament.
The thing is, we actually know that those who would benefit the most from this clause in the bill are the Conservative members of Parliament. I find it very convenient that the Conservative members of Parliament are sitting here, fundraising and saying this is a bill that benefits only members of Parliament pensions, yet they're doing absolutely nothing to actually resolve the issue. As a matter of fact, they're doing the opposite of resolving the issue; they are purposely sabotaging our ability to resolve this issue.
Mr. Chair, I never, ever like to attach intentions to any one of my colleagues. However, I would like to point out the facts.
The majority of Conservative members of Parliament are those who would benefit from this remaining in this bill. Today—just like at the last meeting, the meeting before that and probably the meeting that comes up next—we see members of Parliament from the Conservative Party sabotaging the ability of this committee to resolve the issue. It seems a little convenient to me, Mr. Chair.
Today, again, I'm so happy that we're back at clause 5 and the motion that my NDP colleagues and I put forward together to resolve this issue. I will reiterate that around this table, the Bloc Québécois have said they are in support and the Liberals have said that they are in support. The ironic part of this is that the Conservatives have also said they are in support of our making these changes.
What is happening here? How can you say one thing and do the opposite? Apparently, that's what the Conservatives can do over and over again. Here we are again.
I would love to be able to read out all the subamendments that we already have handy, because we know they're coming. I would love to be able to tear apart the fact that there is actually no difference between any of those subamendments, so I hope the Conservatives can bring them forward. My hope is that we can, as a committee, look at those subamendments and figure out whether there actually are differences among these subamendments. I can guarantee that there is not.
At the root of each one of these subamendments is how to sabotage a bill that is looking at improving our electoral system, ensuring that we have elections that are strong and barrier-free and putting into place the solutions that so many who showed up as witnesses here at this committee told us about.
There are issues of barriers preventing those living with disabilities from being able to cast a ballot. There are issues surrounding seniors being able to vote in long-term care homes. We have issues where the dates are too narrowly.... We need to see it extended to have more dates so that people can show up at the ballots to cast their vote. We know people are busy. We know people are working. We know people have schedules with so many moving pieces in this busy world we're in. We need to have that flexibility so that people can show up at the ballots.
We need to have clear repercussions when there's false information being spread to deter people from showing up at the ballots, so that we don't have another Conservative robocall scandal. We need to make sure that we have the processes in place to protect our electoral system.
Again, I will agree with the Conservatives on the frustration about this component of the bill that speaks to the MPs' pensions. Do you know what I did as a result of those frustrations? I found a solution, Mr. Chair. Immediately upon this being brought to my attention, I found a solution.
I stood up in the House. I clearly articulated the fact that I would not be supporting this component of the bill. Right after I stood up in the House of Commons, suddenly we had a Conservative member, who's here today, standing up, reacting to the fact that I stood up in the House of Commons and talking about burning the entire bill and this entire House down.
This Conservative Party does not want to see anything being done in the House of Commons. They just want to see the place being burnt down. It makes sense that they would not want to see a bill move forward that improves our electoral systems.
Do you know what? If we had barriers reduced and had voters who were engaged and felt that their votes were counted and that they were making a difference, and if we had the systems in place to give Canadians the confidence that we are strengthening our electoral system, and people showed up at the polls with the numbers that we should be having, do you know who wouldn't win? The Conservatives wouldn't. We know that, if we had an opportunity to increase and have everyday people showing up at the polls, not just those who have profits at stake, the Conservative Party would be at a loss.
Mr. Chair, there is so much that we could be talking about right now. I cannot begin to express how frustrated I am that we are just sitting here listening to the Conservatives doing their fundraising pitches on division and hate, disengaging Canadians from our electoral system. I don't want to be sitting here and talking about all these things over and over again. We've heard all of them.
The way that we move together on a path forward is by putting forward a solution and supporting the solution to remedy the problem that has been identified in the bill. This particular amendment that I put forward does exactly that.
I don't know what else we can do other than sit here. The Conservatives are basically holding us all hostage, and holding taxpayers' money.... Our being here is publicly funded, including the translators who are being used, the time and the space. The Conservatives are costing taxpayers money in order to waste our time.
I am frustrated. I'm frustrated for Canadians. I'm frustrated for all of us. We could have put forward a solution that could have been quick. It could have been done by now, and we could be talking about how we improve this bill. There are other issues with this bill. Let's talk about them. Let's go through it piece by piece and see if we can come together with some solutions on moving forward to strengthen our democratic systems.
Our job as elected officials is to come together. We can have different perspectives. That's okay. We can have different ways of looking at how to strengthen our electoral system. That's okay, but we need to lean on the experts in the field to get their recommendations. We need to lean on those who have lived experience of having challenges reaching the polls. We need to come together, share our concerns, share the positive solutions that we know are out there and put together a bill that will benefit Canadians. This doesn't seem like all that big of an ask. You would think that it would be a very foundational piece of our work to be doing exactly this.
Mr. Chair, I hesitate. I hesitate to give up the floor, because I'm really tired of listening to the Conservatives' hate, division and disengagement of Canadians across the country. The second I give up this floor, another subamendment is going to be put forward.