Brent Rathgeber

[Magna Carta, June 18th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, this week is the 800th anniversary of the great charter. Magna Carta is on display at the Museum of History and will soon tour all of Canada. I encourage all Canadians to view it and I encourage all parliamentarians to contemplate its meaning.

Magna Carta's concept is that the Crown is bound by a contract with the people and that nobody is above the law.

Representative government and the rule of law became entrenched based on the principles contained in Magna Carta. Canada inherited its foundational government, its parliamentary executive, and judicial institutions from Magna Carta.

It is the rule of law and democracy that are at the core of Canadian values.

The deal struck at Runnymede resulted in the baronial council that evolved into Parliament as guarantor of freedom, property, and due process.

However, in this place, we frequently compromise our own purpose. Our core function is to constrain the executive and prevent it from seizing too much money or too much power. Holding government to account is the essential role of the parliamentarian.

For those who are seeking the honour to return to Parliament, I would ask them to please remember the lessons of Magna Carta and why their constituents sent them to this place.

[Recall of a Member of Parliament Act, June 17th, 2015]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-697, An Act to establish a process to recall members of Parliament.

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise to table a private member's bill, an act to establish a process to recall members of Parliament. This legislation, also to be known as the “recall of a member of Parliament act”, would allow the electors of an electoral district to apply to the Chief Electoral Officer for the issuance of a petition for the recall of their member of Parliament.

Recall legislation would allow electors disappointed with their representative to recall or fire that member. If the petition was signed by at least 25% of the electors who were eligible to vote for that member and still resided in that electoral district, the seat would be declared vacant and a recall election would be held on the same basis as a by-election.

The recalled member could contest the by-election to determine if he still maintained the confidence of his or her constituents. A recall petition could not be issued within 12 months from the member's election or within the 12 months preceding a fixed election date.

For a representative democracy to function, government must be responsible to Parliament and parliamentarians must be accountable to their constituents. Accordingly, I encourage all members to support the recall of a member of Parliament act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[ZERO TOLERANCE FOR BARBARIC CULTURAL PRACTICES ACT, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I will be voting yea.

[ZERO TOLERANCE FOR BARBARIC CULTURAL PRACTICES ACT, June 15th, 2015]

I am voting nay, Mr. Speaker.

[Incorporation by Reference in Regulations Act, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am voting yea.

[Incorporation by Reference in Regulations Act, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am voting no.

[Justice for Animals in Service Act (Quanto's Law), June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I vote yea.

[Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1, June 15th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and vote no.

[Petitions, June 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to table a petition signed by 267 residents of Edmonton—St. Albert and surrounding communities calling upon the government to adopt international aid policies that support family farmers, especially women, and recognize their vital role in the struggle against hunger and poverty, and also to ensure that Canadian policies and programs are developed in consultation with small family farmers and that they protect the rights of the small family farmers in the global south to preserve, use, and freely exchange seeds.

[Criminal Code, June 4th, 2015]

seconded by Mr. Hyer, moved for leave to introduce Bill C-686, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (detention in custody).

He said: Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise and table a private member's bill, an act to amend the Criminal Code regarding detention in custody.

The bill would be known as Dave Wynn's law, in honour of the St. Albert RCMP constable who was fatally wounded in the line of duty on January 17 of this year.

Amazingly, Constable Wynn's assailant had more than 50 criminal convictions, including breaches of court orders and failures to appear in court, and 38 outstanding charges. However, the assailant made bail without mention of his criminal past or his failures to appear, causing RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson to publicly question the bail process and wonder how this person was “walking among us”.

Accordingly, this proposed legislation attempts to close some of the glaring loopholes in the judicial interim release or bail process by requiring the prosecution to lead evidence that the accused has previous convictions, has outstanding criminal charges, or has previously failed to appear in court.

It is a mystery how some habitual offenders can make bail, but by tightening the rules regarding the release of habitual offenders, it is hoped that all of society will be protected from those who continually flaunt the law and also the courts.

I encourage all hon. members to support Dave Wynn's law.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)