Mr. Speaker, many people over there came here in the 1997 election. It is easy to throw the shots across. I like to take it as well as I can give it. I appreciate the comments from the other side today, but they were not here in the 1988 election. The minister of state was not here in the 1988 election. She was not sitting in the back with many of us. The member from Broadview—Danforth was not here listening to all the promises.
The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development from Kenora—Rainy River was here. We sat side by side. Things were going to be a whole lot different. Things were going to be better. He could say maybe they are, but in terms of shutting down democracy in this place, or what we would hope would be democracy in this place, it seems to me something dreadful has gone wrong in their dreams or their plans.
I have quoted members of the House today about how horrible it was under the Mulroney Conservatives. It was an affront to democracy that they did not get a chance to speak. Democratic debate was shut down in the House. They were exercised about it. They were sick about it. Things were going to be different. Things were going to be better.
I heard from two members today earlier in the debate that it is much harder to do this when one is the government. Bunk. They have not had to shut down debate. In terms of major pieces of legislation since this bunch formed the government back in 1993 there is precious little of longstanding repute.
It seems to me, when we look at some of the major pieces of legislation, that we could have had any amount of time to have every member of the House bring forward a regional flavour on how a particular piece of legislation would affect them. Yet the government says it is too busy doing the great things of the nation and moving forward. The House leader rants in a scrum and talks about horrible opposition members.
When Mulroney was on the other side bringing in time allocation, the House leader was one of the worst people over here for making a fuss about it. Members who were here know that. Yet here he is today, the proud champion of the head of the Ottawa 67s. Some 67 times the government has brought in closure or time allocation on debate in six years.