Mr. Speaker, it has become apparent that this Liberal government is trying hard to stifle discussion of its gun control legislation.
The interest in, and demand for, copies of Bill C-68 is overwhelming. Initially the Minister of Justice limited MPs to just 15 copies. If that was not bad enough, we now find that the chief government whip has further ordered the House distribution centre to limit that number to five copies per member. Five copies among 75,000 or 100,000 citizens is hardly the open and honest government of the Liberal red book.
Canadians are being denied their most basic democratic right; the right to understand and discuss the laws of the land.
The last time such anti-democratic action was taken by a federal government was by the Conservative government of Brian Mulroney. The legislation-you guessed it-was gun control, Bill C-17.
I want to congratulate the Saskatchewan Association of Responsible Firearms Owners that has been making copies of this legislation available for $5 each. Surely important issues deserve open and informed debate. Surely Canadians are entitled to access proposed legislation that affects them. Why does the Liberal government want to deprive Canadians?