House of Commons Hansard #61 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was rcmp.
Denis Lebel Conservative Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Democratic Institutions also said, “So Canadians can rest assured that unless we have their broad buy-in, we're not moving forward with any changes.”
Perhaps voting Canadians and those who contributed to greater voter participation in the last election because we did a good job want to keep the current electoral system.
Will the Prime Minister recognize that the best way to find out what Canadians want is to hold a referendum?
Mark Holland LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Democratic Institutions
Mr. Speaker, we are absolutely committed to ensuring that the support of Canadians is behind the proposals we bring forward.
The process we are going to engage, of talking to Canadians from coast to coast, not just about changing our voting system but looking at electronic voting, looking at the possibility of mandatory voting, recognizing that in a modern age our electoral systems, like the rest of the world, need to evolve, is something to which we are committed.
I would ask the member opposite to engage constructively in that process, to engage in that dialogue, and work with us to create a better electoral system.
Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister tried to seize total control of the House of Commons just because he did not get his own way.
Motion No. 6 was only withdrawn after a massive backlash. However, it is not his only undemocratic attempt to seize control.
Motion No. 5 sets up the committee to alter Canada's electoral system in the Liberals' favour. It gives Liberals a majority on the committee, ensures that the Liberal majority in the House will control the bill, and the final say will be made by the Liberal cabinet.
Will the Liberals do the right thing and withdraw this motion as well?
Mark Holland LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Democratic Institutions
Mr. Speaker, the motion to create the committee is coming forward.
There is going to be ample opportunity to hear from each and every member of the House around his or her ideas to improve and modernize our electoral system. The reality is that in the last election Canadians looked at the problems of the past, looked at the decade that preceded the last election, and said, in huge measure, that the status quo was not good enough, that we needed to do better.
That is precisely what we are working on. That is precisely what the committee is getting to the heart of. I encourage members to engage in that process.
Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
Mr. Speaker, the minister thinks that tracking a topic on Twitter is a better way of consulting Canadians than a referendum; #logical?
Their motion gives Liberals on the committee total control of the process to fundamentally change the way Canadians vote; #thatseemsfair.
We know the Liberals do not respect Parliament, and now we can see that they do not respect Canadians either; #arrogance #outoftouch #disrespect.
If the minister truly wants widespread consultations, could she finally agree to holding a #referendum?
Mark Holland LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Democratic Institutions
Mr. Speaker, I hear the hashtags opposite. I hear the member wanting to use different forums. Obviously there are many different ways that people can engage on this issue.
There will be forums held in nearly every riding. I encourage members to host town halls. I encourage members to engage with their constituents. We will have a digital portal where Canadians' voices can be heard. It will be a dynamic conversation, and as we said, we will ensure that the will of Canadians is behind whatever we put forward.
Help us to change the status quo, improve our system, and modernize our electoral system to bring us into the 21st century.
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Mr. Speaker, more and more people are concerned about whether Bill C-14 on medical assistance in dying is constitutional.
On the weekend, we heard from some of the Liberal Party faithful, former prime minister Paul Martin, and former Liberal leader Bob Rae. The government cannot get such an important issue wrong. It is not too late. This evening, Bill C-14 can be amended.
Will the Liberals work with the opposition to ensure that Bill C-14 complies with the charter and the Supreme Court decision?
Jody Wilson-Raybould LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to moving forward with Bill C-14 and have engaged very broadly on this really complex and deeply personal issue.
We have a deadline of June 6 to meet that has been directed by the Supreme Court of Canada. We are committed to having in place, it is our responsibility as parliamentarians, a legal framework in this country that ensures we find the right balance between personal autonomy, protection of the vulnerable, and ensuring there is access in this country.
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Mr. Speaker, the government needs to stop giving incomplete information. There is no rush.
The professional associations are prepared. They have directives in place to protect the vulnerable. We need to get this right.
The government is insisting on passing a bill that a number of experts have deemed unconstitutional. We are talking about charter rights. The government knows very well that its law will be challenged if it is not amended.
When will the government work with the opposition to bring the bill in line with the charter?
Jody Wilson-Raybould LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to working with all parliamentarians and have done so on this piece of legislation as we move forward.
We have the utmost respect for the Supreme Court of Canada. We are ensuring that we do everything possible to meet the deadline of June 6.
We have the utmost confidence that this is the best public policy approach to medical assistance in dying in this country right now. We will ensure that we can move forward with that legal framework to provide access as well as the protection of the vulnerable.
Murray Rankin NDP Victoria, BC
Mr. Speaker, the problem with the minister's response is that the Alberta Court of Appeal, the Canadian Bar Association, Barreau du Québec, constitutional experts, and now even former Prime Minister Martin all agree, Bill C-14 in its present form is likely not constitutional.
Even if the bill is passed next week, it will be tied up in legal challenges for years to come, and costly, exhausting court battles for suffering Canadians who just want to see their legal rights vindicated.
Why will the government not do the right thing and work with us to get the bill right the first time?
Jody Wilson-Raybould LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to ensuring that we have in place by the Supreme Court deadline of June 6 a legal framework for medical assistance in dying in this country.
I know that there is an incredible diversity of opinion around this incredibly complex and challenging issue. As legislators, we need to answer the 36 million people who live in this country in terms of putting in place a regime.
Again, I am confident that this is the best approach for Canada in terms of medical assistance in dying right now, and it is the first step.
Murray Rankin NDP Victoria, BC
Mr. Speaker, government members keep hiding behind the June 6 deadline, as they call it, as an excuse, but now even former Liberal leaders, Bob Rae and Paul Martin agree there is nothing to fear.
If this bill does not pass next week, the Carter decision itself provides the criteria for determining who is eligible and the provinces are now prepared and have already released guidelines for their physicians.
We have the time we need to fix this, so will the government stop ramming through this deeply flawed bill and work with us to get it right?
Jane Philpott LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, this question gives me an opportunity to explain why it is so important that we get a piece of legislation in place at the soonest possible date.
Without legislation in place, health care providers will not have the legal framework that they require to proceed. They will be advised to seek legal consults. This will cause serious problems in accessing. Not only that, the Canadian Pharmacists Association has made it clear that there will be no protection for pharmacists to dispense medication.
We need to get this legislation in place as soon as possible.
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Mr. Speaker, on electoral reform the Liberals keep claiming that they are listening to Canadians but three-quarters of Canadians want a referendum on any changes to their system of democracy. It seems that Canadians have already spoken.
Will the Liberals drop the lip service and listen to Canadians and hold a referendum?
Mark Holland LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Democratic Institutions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have spoken. Over 60% spoke, voting for parties that said we need to modernize our electoral system. Canadians stood up in the last election and said they needed a system that would better reflect their will, that would better enfranchise their vote, and that would give them a better voice in our democratic process. We are committed to exactly that.
I would encourage the member opposite to work with us in this process. Let us improve our democracy. Let us get it done.
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
No, Mr. Speaker, Canadians have spoken. Seventy-five per cent of them want a referendum.
The Minister of Democratic Institutions claims that a referendum is not the best way to consult Canadians but at the same time the minister is speaking out of the other side of her mouth by saying that she is listening to all Canadians.
How better to know that one has the broad-based support of all Canadians than with a referendum?
Will the Liberals stop pulling the wool over Canadians' eyes and hold a referendum, yes or no?
Mark Holland LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Democratic Institutions
Mr. Speaker, public consultation comes in many forms. The ability to engage Canadians happens in many different ways. We are absolutely committed to making sure that all Canadians' voices are heard in this process.
What we want to do right now, and I would encourage the member to join us in the process, is to have a discussion on exactly how we are going to do it. Right now, I do not even know what the member would want a question on.
It is important to posit ideas, to have a debate and a discussion about how we can improve our system and once we get to that point let us look at the next steps.
Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the parliamentary secretary that his government was elected by 39% of voters, not 60% as he has been saying.
For the past few weeks, the Minister of Democratic Institutions has repeatedly stated that the referendum option is not on the table. This despite the fact that 73% of Canadians are in favour of a referendum.
Will the Minister of Democratic Institutions and her government finally listen to Canadians and hold a referendum on the electoral system? #referendum.
Mark Holland LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Democratic Institutions
Mr. Speaker, we were not the only party to campaign on the idea of changing our electoral system, on modernizing our electoral and democratic institutions. The NDP did. The Green Party did. There were many different parties that posited this idea and in cumulative total that reaches more than 60%.
The bigger point here is that there is an historic opportunity to improve the way Canadians interact with their democracy, to empower them and give them a chance to have a stronger voice in this process. I would encourage the member to work with us in that process, to begin that process of debate and ideas. Let us start it right now.
Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister made it abundantly clear that the 2015 election would be the last to employ the first-past-the-post system and that the status quo is not an option. However, during the Liberal convention this weekend, the Minister of Democratic Institutions indicated that the government would not proceed with changes without the support of the people.
Will the minister commit to holding a referendum on a subject as important as the electoral system to find out whether there is public support?
Mark Holland LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Democratic Institutions
Mr. Speaker, from the onset we have been committed to engaging Canadians to ensure that any proposal we bring forward has broad support from the Canadian public. Let us remember the objective we are trying to achieve here. The objective we are trying to achieve is to enfranchise voters, to give them more power, more say, a better spot at the table in our Canadian democratic system.
I would offer to members opposite who clearly are engaged in this issue, who clearly want to have a discussion about it, let us talk, let us have an opportunity to look at what the options are to improve our system and get to work on it.
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
Mr. Speaker, maybe the parliamentary secretary could sort out some of the confusion left by his minister this weekend when she contradicted herself by saying on the one hand, “I haven't been persuaded that referendum alone is the best tool that we can use in the 21st century”, but on the other hand she said, “And we will not proceed with any changes [to how Canadians vote] without the broad buy-in of the people of this country”.
How do we get a broad buy-in if we do not actually consult broadly? How do we do this without having a referendum?
Mark Holland LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Democratic Institutions
Mr. Speaker, to get broad buy-in we have to do what frankly has not occurred in the past, which is to reach out to Canadians in ridings across the country, to have real and genuine conversations around how to improve our democratic institutions, to take this historic opportunity to move our democracy to a new place where we empower voters to have a stronger say in our system.
In order to do that we have to talk about options and dialogue and something other than the status quo. That is what I have not heard from members opposite. I have not heard them positing ideas on how we can improve our system. I would like them to please start participating in this debate.
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
Mr. Speaker, at some point the Liberals are actually going to have to come forward with some new proposal instead of suggesting everyone else should do it. When they do that we want to have a referendum. It is not just we who want a referendum, 73% of Canadians want a referendum. Sooner or later, there will be a proposal from the Liberals saying, “Here is the new electoral system we suggest”. When that happens, will there be a referendum, as 73% of Canadians want, or will they deny Canadians their democratic say?