Mr. Speaker, I am rising to add to the question of privilege that was raised by my colleague from Thornhill. I also just want to note that I am deeply offended by the previous interventions in regard to the point of order from the member for Timmins—James Bay. For him to suggest that this is a filibuster tactic is completely disrespectful. My safety and my staff's safety were jeopardized on Tuesday, and that is not acceptable. These events need to be looked at further by the Speaker.
I just want to run through what happened that morning with me. I had arrived to the front of the Confederation Building and I had my children with me on this day, which is not something that I normally do but for some reason I had brought them with me. I had noticed that there was more of a presence of security, but I honestly did not think anything of it until I went to go into the building.
I was stopped by PPS, who told me that I could not go in there because there were about 100 people who had stormed the building and were now occupying it. I obviously was alarmed by this. The officer went over to speak to another officer, who then said that I could go into the building and that it would be safe for me. I questioned this because my office building is located on the first floor in the Confederation Building, but I was told, “Do not worry; it is just a passive occupation.”
My children and I were then escorted by PPS around the building. We entered through the accessible entrance. Once I was in my office, I already had staff there. She was advised by PPS to keep the door locked as we could hear chanting and singing, which made us very uneasy, not knowing what was going on. Knowing that protesters had also passed the entrance of the security portion of the Confederation Building, and some were standing outside the door of the member for Thornhill's office, was very concerning for me.
My mothering instincts told me this was not a safe place for my children to be with me. I then made the decision that I had to get them out of the building and, frankly, off the precinct altogether. There are not a lot of ways around that building, and I had to go through the basement. I was actually appalled and shocked at the number of people who were sitting in the accessible entrance going through security. These were stakeholders. These were Canadians who were coming for meetings. The fact that there was chaos at the front entrance of the building, and PPS was still allowing stakeholders into the building and putting them through security, frankly and honestly, is just bananas to me. I do not understand it.
I do not understand how, with chaos erupting, it would be a good idea to add more chaos and this time with Canadians who might not necessarily be familiar with Parliament Hill but were there to meet with MPs. I eventually got my children out and away from the building. I still had staff in the building, so I felt like I had an obligation to go back to my office.
I then had another staff member from—