Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of his speech, the member went on and on about how the new Prime Minister is repairing democracy in this place and fighting the democratic deficit. I would like to remind him of the fact that it was the Prime Minister who, in just a matter of days after the House opened following his appointment as Prime Minister, invoked closure for the first time.
I would like to point out that, even in gaining his position as Prime Minister, the man went ahead and basically tied up anything that could be called democratic in the Liberal Party. If we look at those three line vote systems, that is what it has always been. It is just a new name for it. In private members' business, usually members voted according to their individual will, and the cabinet always voted together. It is still that way. There has been no change.
With respect to nominations in the ridings, I find the Prime Minister is about as undemocratic as he can be in some of the ridings, including the Vancouver riding of Burnaby. I challenge him when he says that the new Prime Minister is fighting the democratic deficit. I think he is sustaining it, and even building it.