Mr. Speaker, as you have indicated, I did write to you pursuant to Standing Order 52(2) to tell you that I would be rising in my place today to seek leave to propose an emergency debate concerning the actions of the officials of the Prime Minister and of the Prime Minister himself in relation to actions taken by the RCMP during the APEC summit in Vancouver.
Documents have been released to the RCMP public complaints commission inquiry that lend credence to concerns that have previously been raised about the direct intervention of the Prime Minister's office with the RCMP concerning security arrangements at the summit. There is now documentary evidence that officials with the PMO and perhaps the Prime Minister himself requested that actions be taken against peaceful demonstrators exercising their democratic rights.
Any political interference in policing is highly improper, but when there is documentary evidence that the Prime Minister intervened with the RCMP to take actions against demonstrators so he could retain cordial relations with Mr. Suharto, the former authoritarian leader of Indonesia, and that such political interference resulted in the use of pepper spray and of physical force to arrest peaceful demonstrators, we know there is a real possibility that Canadian democracy has suffered a deep wound.
Standing Order 52(5) states that in deciding upon an application for an emergency debate, the Speaker shall consider “the probability of the matter being brought before the House within a reasonable time by other means”.
The Prime Minister has clearly stated that he will make no statement in the House of Commons concerning the matter so there is no likelihood that the House of Commons will have an opportunity to address this grave and urgent matter. An emergency debate is therefore the only way for members of this House to address threats that have possibly been made to two of the foundation stones of democratic governance: freedom of expression and the political independence of the police.
An emergency debate in the House of Commons would in no way interfere with the RCMP inquiry. The public complaints commission has a specific mandate under the RCMP Act to conduct investigations. The House of Commons is a body with its own constitutional duties and obligations to hold the government publicly accountable for its actions. Surely it is appropriate that members of the House should have an opportunity to perform those democratic duties during the week that Nelson Mandela will address the House.
I urge you, Mr. Speaker, to consider favourably this request. It would give an opportunity not just to us but to the Prime Minister to give an account of himself and perhaps to refute convincingly the allegations that have been made against him. Nevertheless, in the interest of the public and of democracy that kind of debate should occur and occur soon in this Chamber.