Madam Speaker, recently we had votes which were not administrative but reflected basic societal structure and had moral implications for many in my community.
My electoral pledge requires me to engage the local marketplace of ideas and ultimately be guided by community consensus. That is our Canadian Alliance commitment to grassroots representative democracy.
We believe that a high level of citizen participation in the democratic consultation process is vital to ensuring the legitimacy of Parliament. MPs must ensure major issues receive a full and fair public hearing so that an informed democratic decision can be made by the community. Where an MP finds that a clear consensus can be obtained, it is his or her responsibility to vote accordingly over party or personal view.
I urge all parliamentarians to be better representatives and aspire to the higher standard of the Canadian Alliance Party.