Mr. Speaker, I must say that this is disappointing and discouraging, but not surprising from the government. It has shut down debate on 13 different bills since being election, and eight since January alone.
I think the most powerful thing in politics is to repeat back principles that people once had before they were in government. Therefore, they can understand why we may be frustrated and why Canadians may be frustrated.
I will to quote the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages who said:
These things do not build confidence with Canadians. The government also has a lack of respect for free votes in this place and the treatment of private members' bill.
I would ask government members to remind me if this sounds at all familiar to them. It has a lack of commitment to a democratically elected Senate. It has muzzled political free speech in is own backbenches as it invokes closure yet again.
The Minister of Public Safety said:
If the bill was the right thing to do, why did the Prime Minister do the wrong thing by invoking closure?
Lastly, I will invoke the words of the Prime Minister who said:
The interests of all of Canadians must be served, not the interests of politicians, not partisan interests or political self-interest.
Invoking closure in this manner on such an important bill is wrong. The government knew it when its members sat in opposition. However, they seem to have forgotten those principles about the need to have fair and democratic debate in this place. That is our job. That is the work we do for Canadians. Shutting down debate is wrong. They used to believe that. I would ask them now why they still do not.