Mr. Speaker, it is not whether or not I support the bill. This is a House of debate where opinions and views are heard. We are being accused by the government of filibustering. Yet we are given an hour and a half at third reading. We extended the hours to facilitate its agenda. Yet we get accused of filibustering. It
rejects our amendments. It does not listen to us in any way, shape or form because it uses its majority to say no. The whip cracks the whip and whatever we propose they oppose.
We have supported some of its legislation because we think it is good. When we make what we think are intelligent and good amendments to its legislation, because it comes from this side of the House they are automatically shut down. That is an abuse of the trust and the power the government has been given. The Liberals will have to explain that to the people at election time.
Almost 40 times they have introduced closure in the House in the time I have been in Parliament. It has now become a common occurrence. It is not even reported in the media any more.
When it was first introduced in the House it almost brought down the government. Then it sat latent for a number of years and was picked up again in the fifties and used on very rare occasions. Mr. Trudeau used it, I believe, about 10 or 15 times. Mr. Mulroney used it a few more times. This government has surpassed every record.