Mr. Speaker, there are critical moments in the life of a democracy, and today is one of them.
The government has once again demonstrated how inconsistent it is through its blatant incompetence in managing public programs and its inability to ensure transparent and effective accountability. It is not complicated. The total lack of robust oversight and accountability mechanisms within the current government make the problems that the government gets itself into even worse.
I want to tell the government representatives that they are political officials. They need to show that they are capable of clear and consistent accountability, whether in terms of public spending, tangible results or the assessment of objectives achieved. Government accountability is not limited to vague, incomplete reports, which, as we know, are often filled with technical jargon to cover up failures. What is worse, the lack of transparency makes it difficult to have confidence in democracy. Democracy around the world is struggling right now. We do not need to make things worse.
Ineffective accountability allows secrecy to flourish. It opens the door to abuse of power, corruption and the gradual erosion of democratic institutions. Instead of promoting efficiency and equity, poor program management leads to chaotic management of public resources, which plunges essential services into paralysis and prevents citizens, the taxpayers, from having their needs met.
Instead of talking about housing, inflation, lack of cell phone coverage—a major problem in Laurentides—Labelle, the industrial transition, the energy shift, increased benefits for seniors aged 65 to 74, we have been talking about the government's failings and secrets since yesterday. We are staring down the barrel of another scandal.
After the Liberals came to power, we saw the WE scandal. I have been here since 2019, and I have spent hours at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. It ended with prorogation. There was the Prime Minister's vacation at the Aga Khan's island; the Trans Mountain pipeline purchase; the COVID-19 conflicts of interest; and the latest, ArriveCAN, which cost millions of dollars in public money.
While all that is going on, we are neglecting our people. That is unacceptable to the public. Because it holds executive power, the government needs to be accountable to the legislative branch. Of course, preserving, protecting and treasuring the separation of powers is important. These days, the line between these three branches is becoming increasingly blurred. We have to protect the separation of these powers. This must not be used as an excuse. The government is accountable to the House.
Parliament's authority to demand government documents is clearly established. The only limitation on the House's ability to demand information from the government as it deems necessary is the good judgment of the House, not the goodwill of the government.
We must avoid setting a bad precedent. The government does have the right to disagree. However, it must respect an order of this House. The government must respect Parliament and its members. It cannot simply carry on as usual. Can we set aside partisanship? That is what we are dealing with here. If there is one party that can speak out against partisanship, it is the Bloc Québécois. I urge my colleagues to show respect for our democratic institutions. In closing, I call on the government to get its act together.