Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by saying that this is really a sad day for democracy, for government in general and for the decisions we make here.
I also want to make the official opposition's position on enhancing the safety of the thousands of Canadians who spend time here every day perfectly clear. It is very clear to us that this is a priority. We need better integration, better training, better equipment and more resources dedicated to our safety. That is very clear.
The motion before us will not achieve that. This motion is nothing more than the government's attempt to take away the historic responsibility that the Speaker's office has under the Constitution to protect parliamentarians from the unilateral intrusion of government authority. I will not bore the House with the history of this practice, which dates back to the English civil war in the 17th century and which is the outcome of the evolution of our Constitution since 1867 even though that history can help us understand why our current system is the way it is.
My arguments will focus on two points: first, how this motion will definitely make the thousands of Canadians who visit this place every day less safe; and second, why it is unconstitutional and unacceptable in this institution to proceed in this manner within our constitutional democracy.
The fact that the government is using the power of its whip to try to take constitutional rights away from the Speaker and permanently hand control of security in this place over to its own security service is a direct attack on our traditions, our practices and our Constitution. This is an unprecedented attempt to control security in the only place where the government cannot control it: this Parliament. This once again demonstrates that this government, led by the Prime Minister, is obsessed with controlling everything.
I would like to quote a reference regarding the traditions and procedures of this House. In the second edition of House of Commons Procedure and Practice by O'Brien and Bosc, the Speaker's role with regard to security is described on page 324.