Debates of Feb. 7th, 2022

COVID-19 Protests

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate)]

Mr. Speaker, I listened quite intently to the leader of the NDP's discussion in this debate, and I thank him for initiating it tonight. He talked about the actions that have been going on outside and said he condemns the behaviour. I agree with him that certainly a lot has been happening, and it is more than just a few bad apples, as he rightly pointed out. We are seeing instance after instance, and it is not just about one or two bad apples here or there.

He indicated that he was pleased to see the three levels of government coming together. Where does he see that discussion happening? What suggestions does he have for that group? Certainly, he would not suggest that they negotiate, given what is going on and his previous comments. What possible solutions would he recommend that those three levels of government should be discussing?

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is the four things I have outlined. We need to see the federal government stop looking for excuses, show leadership and say that it is here to help, it is going to do everything possible to help, it is not going to hide behind excuses and it is going to be proactive and look for solutions.

We also need to see a clear plan to get us out of this pandemic. We have been up against significant problems for the past two years and we need to see some real solutions. Our health care system cannot be in a position where it is at the brink of collapse every time there is an additional wave of COVID-19. We need sustainable, long-term funding and increased funding for our health care system. We need to solve those problems.

We also need to make sure the money that is funding this occupation is stopped. We know there is a significant amount of foreign funding, particularly from the United States, and that has to stop.

Finally, there are a lot of frustrations that people feel in general. Canadians have been angry for a while now because they have done everything they can to get through this pandemic but things have gotten worse. It is harder to own a home. It is harder to pay the bills. We need to work together in the House to provide solutions to those problems to give people hope as an answer to the hate that we see rising. We need to give people hope as a way forward.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I believe the NDP leader to be a compassionate man. I also believe that the NDP, with vigilance, fights for the marginalized. That is why I am bit surprised and would like his comments.

His party must be hearing about the damage that has been done to children and seniors in isolation and about job losses. The NDP is traditionally the party standing up for workers. We have seen workers lose their jobs because of their personal health choices. We have seen significant damage done to children, teenagers and the mental health of the nation. Alcohol and drug dependency has gone up. We can go on and on about the impacts that Canadians have felt as a result of government actions to address the pandemic, and I think what is happening outside is a result of the trauma that Canadians have experienced.

I would like the member's comments on that. I would like to hear some compassion for the eruption of trauma that we are seeing outside and across the country.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear about who I stand with. I stand with the health care workers. I am compassionate toward the people who have given so much to us. I denounce the fact that they have been made afraid to walk down the streets. I am compassionate toward the families in Ottawa that want to send their kids to school but have been kept awake all night by people who want to overthrow the government. I am compassionate toward workers in the downtown core who get harassed and intimidated by members of the convoy. I am compassionate toward young people who have been harassed and verbally assaulted. I am compassionate toward racialized people who see symbols of hate. I am compassionate toward Jewish people who saw swastikas and Nazi flags flying. I am compassionate toward racialized people and Black people who saw Confederate flags. I ask how this is happening in our country.

That is who we are standing with. We are standing with the people and saying this is not Canada. This is not what we represent, this hate, with the desecration of war memorials and the vandalizing of the Terry Fox memorial. This is not Canada. This is not who we stand for. I want to stand with people who are saying this is wrong. I want to stand with the truckers who are saying this convoy does not represent them. They are worried about their wages being lost, wage theft and work conditions. Some 90% of them are vaccinated and they do not care about what the convoy is talking about. It does not represent their concerns.

I am standing with those people. I am standing with the workers. I am standing with families. I am standing with health care workers. I am standing with people who have been terrorized by the convoy. I am saying to them that I am going to fight for them; I am going to stand up for them. I understand that people in Canada are frustrated, but we have to respond to that frustration with a real plan to get us through the pandemic and with real hope to deal with the problems that people are faced with, and we can do it.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his speech and for the motion he moved so we could discuss the matter this evening. It is about time we addressed this elephant in the room.

When I ask my Liberal colleagues what their responsibility is in all this, I am told that it is not really a national concern and it does not really have anything to do with the federal government. I am told that this is happening in Ottawa and should be handled by the Ottawa police and the mayor of Ottawa. They tell me that they do not have much to do with it, that it is not their responsibility.

I find it very hard to understand this. I do think this is a federal issue. People have been calling out the federal government from the outset, and the feds certainly bear some responsibility.

I would like to hear my colleague comment on how much of the responsibility lies with the federal government.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

I completely agree. It is that lack of leadership that I want to criticize, specifically the fact that the federal government kept on saying that this was not its responsibility or within its jurisdiction.

Nevertheless, when there is a crisis in our nation's capital, it is vital that the federal government take action and that the Prime Minister take what is happening seriously and state that, as the leader, he will look for solutions to help and recognize that there still are provincial and territorial jurisdictions. It is always important to recognize that.

In a crisis, a real leader is someone who says they want to help, finds solutions and does everything they can to help people going through difficult times.

That is exactly what I suggest we do here, in Ottawa, and also for Quebec, because there are threats of other protests in a few weeks. We have to provide assistance to municipalities in a proactive manner to help them.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Burnaby South for his leadership in successfully pushing for this important emergency debate tonight that all Canadians can tune in to and see the important issues that need to be discussed. Many people have been saying that the federal government has been missing in action, and it is so important to have this debate tonight.

I would like to ask the member for Burnaby South two questions. What would he say and what is his message to health care workers who have, for the last two years, as he said so eloquently, been struggling to make sure that Canadians are taken care of despite the devastating health care cuts we have seen over the course of the last few years? What is his message to the Canadians who see ever-growing food bank lineups, are often in precarious situations or have become homeless and see the increasing inequality in our country that has been exacerbated during this crisis? What is his message to those Canadians tonight?

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would say to health care workers that they are the ones who have saved our lives. They put their lives on the line to care for us. At a minimum, we need to make sure they are safe, and I am deeply offended that the people who have cared for us have been made a target by this convoy, that those who have put their lives on the line to keep us healthy are now at risk of violence if they wear clothing that identifies them. I want health care workers to know that this is wrong, that I stand with them and will continue to fight to make sure they are respected for their work, but more importantly that they are properly resourced so that they can do the work they want to do. I have met nurses with tears in their eyes because they are underfunded, understaffed and overworked. I want them to know I am going to fight to make sure there is proper funding for a publicly delivered health care system and that the federal government does its part.

To the people dealing with inequality, which has become worse with the pandemic, we see a rigged system whereby those at the top continue to make massive profits while everyone else suffers. That is exactly why we need to provide solutions that speak to people. We need to put people at the heart of everything. That means making sure workers have fair wages. That means housing that is affordable and accessible to everyone. That means people should not have to rely on a food bank but be able to provide for themselves and their families with dignity and have the supports necessary to live a life of dignity. That is what we are fighting for. They are who we are fighting for, and we are going to stand with them every step of the way.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, at the outset I would like to indicate that I will be sharing my time with the Prime Minister.

I want to thank the member for Burnaby South for his motion, and all of my colleagues who are participating in this important debate tonight.

The situation in Ottawa began as an interruption and has now become a sustained convoy and blockade. During the course of the last number of days, we have seen far too many examples of intimidation, harassment, violence and hate. The residents here have effectively been held hostage in their own city, and many of them, especially young women, feel unsafe. They have been blockaded by an angry, loud, intolerant and often violent crowd.

Of course all members in this House support the right to peaceful protest, and it is indeed one of the pillars of our democracy, but peaceful protests do not make people afraid to leave their homes. This convoy has done that, and in doing so has crossed the line.

From day one, the federal government has been there to support the City of Ottawa and the OPS. As the situation evolved, the RCMP approved the successive requests for additional resources. Based on my calls with Mayor Watson last week and today, I can confirm that the RCMP received and approved a request for additional officers.

More officers were made available after another request was made this weekend. Since Saturday, more than 275 RCMP members have been mobilized to serve under the command of the Ottawa Police Service, or OPS. The RCMP is in talks with the OPS, as well as the Ontario Provincial Police, or OPP, and other law enforcement partners. It will assess and adapt its support as the situation evolves.

I insist on receiving operational updates throughout the day, on top of daily briefings with the commissioner and my representatives to ensure that we end this convoy and restore law and order. I am speaking with my provincial and municipal counterparts and have spoken with Minister Jones, the Solicitor General of Ontario, and, of course, with Mr. Watson, the mayor of Ottawa.

While the situation remains very concerning on the ground, we have seen progress made over the last number of hours. We have seen charges laid. We have seen investigations ongoing. We have seen the cutting off of propane and fuel to participants in the convoy. We are seeing structures removed. We are seeing the dispersing of crowds safely and respectfully with the excellent performance of our law enforcement. Hundreds of charges will continue to be laid where appropriate, and those decisions will be made independently by our police services.

In the weeks that follow, we will need to be very clear that we cannot find ourselves in a similar situation again. We must also be clear that we cannot expect to yield to the reckless forces that are outside as a way of imposing reckless change in public policy through disruptive activities like the blockades we are seeing, the bringing in of heavy equipment and scaring and intimidating tactics.

For now, however, we must continue to work together and assess what needs to be done. I have been asking for operational updates through the day, as well as daily updates, to make sure that my partners and I are doing everything we can to help restore the rule of law. I am confident that today's announcement of a table being convened between all levels of government will help to make sure those on the ground have all the tools and resources they need to get the job done and see the situation defuse.

Colleagues, the pandemic is approaching its second anniversary in Canada, and I want to assure every member in this House and all Canadians that we all want to get back to normal life. That day is coming. Canadians have been united and have persevered through it all. Our government has taken a responsible, evidenced-based approach, using science and using good-faith efforts day in, day out to protect one another. It is because Canadians have chosen this path that thousands of lives have been saved.

We cannot allow an angry crowd to reverse the course that is saving lives in this final stretch. This should never be a precedent for how to make policy or law in Canada.

We believe in peace, order and good government. The stories that are coming from communities from coast to coast are of people who are looking out for one another, who are sticking up for each other, who are giving back despite the fatigue. Throughout the course of the pandemic, the story has been a narrative of the resilience and unyielding spirit of Canadians. Now more than ever, we need to support one another and we need to work side by side, regardless of the level of government or party stripe, to take care of one another.

Canadians deserve to feel safe in their communities, and I know that all members will join me in that spirit.

Before yielding the floor, I will just go on to say that I know this is a particularly difficult moment for the residents of Ottawa. I know that businesses have had to shut, that families have not been able to take their kids to day care, that seniors have not been able to get around, that disabled persons have not had access to public transportation, that people do not feel safe, that the reports of intimidation and harassment and violence and the images that we have seen over the course of the last number of days have been very disconcerting to all of us.

Those of us who respect the rule of law, those of us who expect that while we can hold disagreements, disagreements are certainly never a justification to cross the line and not respect other Canadians and break the law. That is why I am very proud that the government, since the very beginning of this convoy, has done everything that it can to give resources and support to our police services locally, including the provision of some 275 Mounties who have now been deputized and who are now able to enforce the law locally. I want to take a moment to thank the members of the RCMP who are assisting the OPS in dealing with this very challenging situation.

I will say, given the great length of time that has passed since the beginning of the pandemic, that of course everyone will feel a degree of fatigue, and we obviously share that sentiment right across the country. However, we should not confuse the sharing of that emotion and the sense of wanting to get back to life as normal with a lack of respect for the law. That is where we must draw the line. That is where we will draw the line.

We do this because this is the shared sense of values on which our country is built. We do it out of respect for those who have worked so hard to see those values and those principles enshrined in our charter, to ensure they are not just words on a page, to ensure that there is a sense of unity and common ground that sees itself manifested in our daily lives.

We have not seen that in the past number of days in Ottawa. I would hope that all members would recognize that it does us no good to yield to perhaps some of the darker angels of our nature. We need to be listening to the better angels of our nature, especially when those values are tested, especially when we have vigorous disagreements around the pandemic. Those disagreements can never be a justification for the kind of conduct and the kind of behaviour we have seen here in Ottawa.

That is why I am calling, and indeed I hope all members are calling, on the convoy to go home—to contribute to the debate, but not to break the law, not to make those who live here in Ottawa feel unsafe. That is what Canadians do. Canadians respect the law. No one is above the law.

We will get through this together.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am having a flashback as I am listening to the member's comments. I was elected in 2015. Shortly thereafter we had protests regarding the Wet'suwet'en. All across Canada, billions of dollars were lost, and here I am hearing words like, “this is enshrined in Parliament” and “rule of law”. I can appreciate that. We do not support radicalism, but it is extremely rich for him to make these types of comments.

I have two questions. One, has he gone out and talked to some of these people? Also, yes, there are people who are taking it way too far, but what responsibility would he and the government take for agitating and calling them racist and just marginalizing millions of Canadians?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Speaker, with due respect to my colleague, it is ironic that he says he and the members of his party respect the values of the Charter, but then we see the member for Carleton and others of his colleagues around some of the individuals who have been breaking the law, and who have been intimidating, harassing and causing great disruption to ordinary folks who just want to go about their daily lives. If my colleague cannot appreciate the distinction between having a vigorous debate about the way we are going to get through this pandemic, and crossing the line and using that disagreement as a justification for the very flagrant disregard for the law, as we have seen in Ottawa, then that is something he and his party need to reflect on very carefully.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for being here this evening. I appreciate it.

When I ask questions in the House, he often tells me that my question falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Ottawa and that Ottawa police are in charge of the situation. He has sent in new RCMP officers, which we were pleased to hear. However, the Ottawa city council adopted a motion this morning officially asking for help from the federal and provincial governments.

What will he tell the City of Ottawa? Will he offer assistance on top of simply sending more RCMP officers?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the matter of jurisdictions and operational decisions is very clear. The Ottawa Police Service is responsible for making decisions on the ground. We need to respect that because it is a principle and value of our democracy.

Earlier today, I spoke with Mayor Watson, and we had a good conversation about what he needs. We have already offered him the services of more than 275 additional RCMP officers, who are now working on the ground to assist the Ottawa Police Service. With their help, progress has been made today, but that needs to continue. We need to put an end to the convoy's activities out of respect for Ottawa residents.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I believe that the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie would like to ask a question.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The member's hand is not raised, and he said no. I see him on my screen, but I do not think he wants to ask a question.

I would remind members to rise or to let me know if they want to speak. I would like to thank the two hon. members for their help. The hon. member for Kingston and the Islands for a brief question.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate)]

Mr. Speaker, very briefly, one of the arguments we continue to hear out there is that it is just a bad apple in the bunch, yet we are seeing incident after incident where there are many bad apples in this bunch that the Conservatives are embracing time and again.

I am curious. Can the minister provide his thoughts on that argument we seem to hear quite a bit?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague's very thoughtful question underlines a pattern we have seen from the Conservative Party in an effort to minimize the harm, the intimidation, the violence and the expressions of hate. I heard one of my colleagues say earlier tonight, in the context of this take note debate, that we have to understand there are certain boundaries we do not cross as Canadians. The flying of Confederate flags and the demonstration of swastikas on our Parliament Hill are not only affronts to our values, which are articulated in the Charter, but they are affronts to everyone who has survived the Holocaust and has experienced racism, and they are affronts to who we are as Canadians.

These are not isolated incidents. It has been rampant, and that is why it is critically important that we rely on our law enforcement to disperse this convoy, so that we can get back to life as normal.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, tonight we are here because Parliament is working. We are here to do our job as the government, as parliamentarians, because our democracy is working.

Just a short time ago, we had an election in this country in which we asked Canadians how they wanted to keep fighting this pandemic. Their answer was clear. Canadians chose vaccines. They chose science. They chose to protect one another. Canadians know that is how we get back to the things we love.

Over the past few weeks, there have been protests in various places across the country, particularly here in Ottawa. Of course, people have the right to protest, to disagree with the government and to make their voices heard. That is a basic right that we as a democracy will always cherish and protect.

That being said, people do not have the right to illegally block the streets, to harass their fellow citizens who are trying to get to work or school, or to insult people who choose to wear masks, get vaccinated and be there for one another.

Individuals are trying to blockade our economy, our democracy and our fellow citizens' daily lives. It has to stop. The people of Ottawa do not deserve to be harassed in their own neighbourhoods. They do not deserve to be confronted with the inherent violence of a swastika flying on a street corner, or a Confederate flag, or with insults and jeers just because they are wearing masks.

That is not who Canadians are. That is not what Canadians demonstrated over the past two years of consistently, continually being there for each other. The people of Ottawa, and indeed people across the country, deserve to have their safety respected and deserve to get their lives back.

From the beginning of this demonstration, our government has been in close contact with the mayor of Ottawa, and with municipal and provincial officials. The RCMP has so far mobilized nearly 300 officers to support the Ottawa Police Service, and is ready to do more. Yesterday, the City of Ottawa declared a state of emergency. We are convening a table with the relevant federal and municipal partners to further strengthen our response. The federal government will be there with whatever resources the province and the city need in this situation.

The Minister of Transport is also working with his provincial counterparts to ensure that people who break the law suffer the consequences.

This blockade, and these protesters, are not the story of this pandemic. They are not the story of Canadians in this pandemic. From the very beginning, Canadians stepped up to be there for one another, to support their neighbours, to support the elderly and to support our frontline workers by doing the right things: by wearing masks, by getting vaccinated and by following public health restrictions. We are all tired of this pandemic. We are frustrated. We are worn down, none more than our frontline health care workers who have been going flat out for two years.

Everyone is tired of having to wear masks and having to follow public health restrictions. Families that test positive, just like mine last week, have to follow public health rules and isolate themselves. Nobody wants to do that. I do not know how many conversations parents have had to have with kids about not going to birthday parties or getting to have sleepovers. This pandemic has sucked for all Canadians, but Canadians know that the way to get through it is by continuing to listen to science, to lean on each other and to be there for each other.

People who yell at others for wearing a mask are not the majority of Canadians, not the vast majority of our country. The majority of Canadians are the millions who got vaccinated, 90,000 of them today alone. They are the tens of thousands who, week after week, have gotten their first dose.

Every day across the country, Canadians step up to get their first doses of the vaccine. That is the story of the country: people who have been there for each other. Everyone is tired of COVID, but these protests are not the way to get through it.

We should not be fighting one another; we should be coming together to fight the virus.

This is not a fight against one another. It is a fight against the virus, and Canadians know that the tools to get through it are science, vaccinations and continuing to do what people have done from the very beginning, which is to step up for one another and make difficult choices. More than ever, Canadians need to continue to be there for each other and to be united.

Members of the opposition have called for an end to the blockades. I salute that. This is the time to put national interests ahead of partisan interests. This is the time for responsible leadership. Democracy in Canada did not happen by accident, and it will not continue without effort. It was a deliberate choice made decades ago to come together, to respect one another and to be there for each other. In every generation, every decade and every day, Canadians continue to live that by choosing to support each other and choosing to do what is necessary to get through another long winter night, to get through another difficult season, and to get through a pandemic.

We have in this country a set of rules, laws and principles that we live by. They keep us safe and protect us. Over the past two years, we have seen measures brought in to keep us safe and measures loosened when things got better. We will continue to follow public health advice, and we will continue to trust science as Canadians work to get through this. That is what people expect.

I know people are tired. We have seen it through the various waves and their receding over the past months. These pandemic restrictions are not forever, but we have to make sure that our shared values and the idea of Canadians being there for each other, supporting one another and respecting each other, have to be here to stay. That is what we are all continuing to stand for.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for participating and being part of this debate.

I look at our country and I have never seen it as divided as it is now under this Prime Minister. Whether it is regional lines, whether it is ethnic lines or whether it is people's health care choices, this country is more divided than ever. The Prime Minister talks about things like respecting each other and that we are not fighting against each other but we are fighting a virus. I have two very simple questions for him.

When the Prime Minister decided to introduce the vaccine mandate, he believed it was the right thing to do. Does he regret calling people names who did not take the vaccine? Does he regret calling people misogynist and racist, just escalating and poking sticks at them and being so divisive to individual Canadians that he might not disagree with but he might have thought were wrong? Does he regret that, and will he agree to meet with the leaders here, the other opposition leaders and me, so that we can talk about a solution in a way that he has described?

We are in uncharted territory. We are at a crisis point not only with what is going on out the doors and across the country, but in the country overall. So much of it is because of the things that he has said and done. Does he regret his words, and will he work with us so that we can find some resolution?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I think people watching expect me to disagree with the leader of the official opposition, I just did not think it would be about something so fundamental. She is telling people tonight that Canada has never been so divided, never been so angry, with one region against another, and I disagree. What we have seen over these past two years has been Canadians stepping up for each other in extraordinary ways.

Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates of our peer countries around the world. Why? It is not because Canadians love getting needles. It is because Canadians trust science. Canadians trust each other to do the right thing. It is in our national psyche of being able to be there for our neighbours, being able to push a car out of a snowbank for a perfect stranger and being able to lean on each other. These are the things that define Canadians. What we saw through these past two years were people stepping up for our frontline health workers, stepping up for our grocery store clerks, leaning on each other, supporting our seniors, supporting our young people and young people stepping up to do what they could around the house to help out while their parents worked while they were all locked down. This is a story of a country that got through this pandemic by being united, and a few people shouting and waving swastikas does not define who Canadians are.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for being here this evening. We appreciate it.

To be honest, we were looking forward to seeing him. We were wondering where he was. I realize he was affected by COVID‑19, so I am happy to see that he is well, but still, when there is a crisis, people expect a leader to be there, to send a strong, clear message. Unfortunately, that is not what happened over the past few days.

In the absence of a message, the protesters are getting the message that it is okay if they stay as long as they want, because nobody is saying anything and nobody is saying there will be consequences.

Does he not think this evening would have been a perfect opportunity to send the protesters a truly strong, clear message about what is going to happen next?

We all agree that people have a right to protest, but the way this particular protest has gained unbelievable momentum is stripping it of all legitimacy. What message should he have sent them this evening?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for being here tonight and for her question.

The reality is that we have been clear from the beginning of this protest. People have a right to protest, but they do not have a right to try to harass and obstruct our Parliament and our democracy. They do not have a right to disturb the residents of a community to such an extent. We have also made it very clear from the beginning that we are here to support the Ottawa police, the City of Ottawa, which is doing its job, and the province if necessary.

We are here with resources to help bring this to an end. We will remain steadfastly committed to the democracy that elected this government to keep Canadians safe. That is the message I have been sending from the beginning, and that is the message we will continue to send.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby on a point of order.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we know very well that in debates like the one we are having tonight, time is divided amongst the parties. Every party has an opportunity to ask questions, and I know the hon. member for Burnaby South has been waiting to ask the Prime Minister a question.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The rules are the rules, and we have limited time, so there is not much we can do.

If the hon. member would like to see the rules change, perhaps he could speak up when changes are being made in the House. I do not have much to add.

The hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby, very briefly.