Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government continues to erode the power of parliament.
Parliament must be supreme. It must oversee the activities of the courts, the bureaucracy and cabinet.
Public and legal policy should respect the foundations of Canadian society like marriage and spouse that serve to bring appropriate consistency to the application of the law.
Currently Bill C-63 before the House contains a clause proposing to give cabinet the sole power to define what a spouse is and what constitutes a family.
If the government is considering fundamental policy changes, it should present its rationale and justifications and demonstrate how the public interest is served. Then we should debate it and allow a free vote.
The Reform Party defines marriage to be the union of a man and a woman as recognized by the state. Anything less than an open democratic process will only serve to undermine the credibility of the House.