Mr. Speaker, let me name the ridings of the Liberal members who attended as well and who laughed and joked when that bill was destroyed in five seconds.
Apart from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, the member for Winnipeg South also thought it was a big joke. The member for Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford thought it was a big joke. The member for Simcoe North thought it was a big joke. The member for Oshawa thought it was a big joke. The member for Brossard—La Prairie thought it was a big joke. The member for Scarborough East thought it was a big joke. They all thought it was a big joke to destroy the private member's bill of the member for Mississauga East.
The Liberals voted overwhelmingly in favour of second reading and to go to committee. Did they mean it? Of course not. They did not want this bill. They wanted it to get to committee so that the government orders could be followed to destroy this bill in under five seconds in committee.
We have seen some disgusting things out of this government since 1993 and this one rates right near the top. Not only was this bill, which had a tremendous amount of merit and a tremendous amount of benefit to the public safety of this country, destroyed by this government, by the sheep that follow the orders of the whip, the House leader or the Minister of Justice, but this act has destroyed what little confidence the Canadian people might have in the effectiveness of private members' bills.
What happened yesterday sent a clear message out to every member of parliament, who represent millions of Canadians across the country, that if one puts a private member's bill forward, no matter what happens in the House in first and second reading, no matter if there is overwhelming consent or not, if it gets to committee and someone on the government benches, the cabinet, does not want this bill, it is destroyed. Is that democracy?
Is there any semblance of democracy in that process? The answer is no. This malicious, disgusting act by the Liberal government has destroyed whatever confidence Canadians had in the ability of their elected members to present a private member's bill in the House and have any chance of it going through if some member of the government benches does not want it. That is a crime in itself. That was a criminal act yesterday.
What the Liberal members did yesterday, following the orders from their dictator, whoever he or she was, was nothing less than a criminal act.