Mr. Speaker, I note that the Canadian Alliance members present in the chamber today were supportive of that motion. We were certainly in support of the intent of the motion to include all widows, all surviving spouses, for benefits. Our critic on this issue and indeed our entire caucus, including our leader, have been extremely supportive of the initiative to include them all.
Having listened to the member's speech and a lot of others on this particular issue over the last number of days, I think I can say that no other issue currently before the House touches the hearts of so many in all political parties and certainly the hearts of a lot of Canadians outside this place and away from Parliament Hill.
Having said that and having duly noted, as I am sure the member did, that it was his own party, the government, that did not allow unanimous consent in order to propose that motion, while I agree with the thrust of his speech, since when does it require a motion, a unanimous indication from the House of Commons, for a government to do the right thing?
I think it is absolutely deplorable that the member, a government backbencher, would have to resort to this type of initiative, although I applaud him for doing so. It is deplorable that he would have to resort to that type of initiative to try to get his own government to do the right thing. As he said himself in his remarks, and as others on both sides of the chamber have said, there should not be a situation in Canada where the government is picking winners and losers, especially in the case of surviving spouses of our war veterans. It is despicable. It is uncalled for.
This government did the same thing with the hepatitis C victims. It brought down a date and said if someone contracted it before that date they were out of luck, but if they contracted it after that date the government would compensate them.
Since when does it require unanimous consent, unanimity in this chamber, for a government to do the right thing?