Maryam Monsef

[Democratic Reform, June 8th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, it is out of a great deal of respect for Canadians and these institutions that our Prime Minister committed to bringing together an all-party committee to reach out to Canadians, and to hear from them what values and what reforms they would like reflected in their democratic institutions.

It is in that spirit of respect and co-operation that we will continue this work.

[Democratic Reform, June 8th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are smart reasonable people, which is why an overwhelming majority in the last election voted for electoral reform. We are working on ensuring that we continue the conversation that Canadians began to have with us about modernizing our democratic institutions.

We look forward to demonstrating to them and to those who have come before us that in this House co-operation is possible.

[Democratic Reform, June 8th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House said yes to establishing an all-party committee to study the options available for Canadians for their electoral reform, to reach out to those pockets in our communities that are not often reached out to, to hear from those who are often marginalized in the process, and to come back to the House with a proposal.

I look forward to the co-operative and collaborative nature that the committee will work in, in the same spirit that it was established, and I look forward to working with the member opposite.

[Democratic Reform, June 7th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I have no notes at my disposal.

Let us review what we are here to do. Canadians have elected us to come to this place and to represent them with dignity and with full co-operation. That is what we are doing today. A committee will come together, made up of all parliamentarians, to reach out to Canadians and to hear from them first on what values and what aspirations they have for their electoral system. Let us recognize our responsibility to do this work right.

Once again, I am really looking forward to the vote.

[Democratic Reform, June 7th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the process of electoral reform requires the attention and the care of all members of the House.

Today we will be voting on establishing an all-party committee whose responsibility it will be to reach out to our constituents, particularly those who have not been included in this conversation in the past, to ensure that the process and the outcome make sense for all of us.

Let us focus on the work of the committee. There is a lot riding on this. We are all counting on it to do this work. I am looking forward to the vote today.

[Democratic Reform, June 7th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, as always, we remain open and receptive to respectful and reasonable arguments. Today, we take step one of a long journey for which we are all responsible to ensure that as we move forward toward modernizing our electoral system and our democratic institutions, the voices of our constituents are included in our decision-making process. Let us focus on step one, one step at a time.

[Democratic Reform, June 7th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, today is a great day. I am looking forward to the vote following question period where we all put our confidence in a parliamentary committee made up of all parties whose responsibility it is to reach out to all our constituents and bring their voices and their values into the conversation about electoral reform. I look forward to this co-operative and collaborative style of governance for many years to come.

[Democratic Reform, June 6th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, our commitment is to hear directly from Canadians. Our hope is that all 338 members in this House will advocate on behalf of their constituents and contribute constructively to the substance of electoral reform.

I hope that the mood tomorrow, with the vote tomorrow, will allow us to move away from an unproductive partisan debate on process to the substance of electoral reform, and ensuring that all Canadians, including young people who are not yet old enough to vote, can be part of this important conversation.

[Democratic Reform, June 6th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the former government did not consult Canadians or experts or Elections Canada on the changes they brought forward through the Fair Elections Act. I totally understand why bringing a committee forward to hear from Canadians is a strange concept to them.

We have entered this process with an open mind and look forward to getting down to the work of hearing from Canadians and moving away from a hyperpartisan debate on process.

[Democratic Reform, June 6th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, it appears that we have found common ground.

The one thing that we can all agree on in this House is that is crucial to the success of us being able to modernize our electoral system is first hearing from Canadians. That is why we committed to bringing forward an all-parliamentary committee to hear from Canadians, to act as a forum to hear their thoughts and aspirations for their electoral reform.

I am really looking forward to this vote tomorrow and unanimous support from all members.