Interim Supply  Sometimes we do not agree, and that is okay. That is supposed to happen in an open democracy that means something. There should be dissent and discussion in a way that is meaningful for the people we represent across a wide nation, which is one of the largest of the world.

COVID-19 Pandemic committee  Our Conservative team will continue to be the voice of those who have fallen through the cracks because of the Prime Minister's mismanagement, because in a democracy every voice matters, no matter how inconvenient for the Prime Minister.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Brassard's suggestion that you use Canada as an example for your next blog post, was based on your observations of Hungary and Serbia. According to the democracy index put out by The Economist on an annual basis, in 2019 Canada ranked seventh in terms of our democracy, a score that we tied with Denmark at a 9.2 out of 10, which puts us in the category of full democracy.

Interim Supply  It has been amazing, right from my team of Chair occupants, the Deputy Speaker and the Assistant Deputy Speaker, who are an amazing team who are always there to help, to our clerks who are sitting here at the table with a wealth of knowledge who steer us in the right direction so we do not look too terrible up here in this chair and, of course, everyone who is here today who is taking part in our national democracy. In Canada, democracy is very important, and we care a great deal about it. It is because of you that it exists. As the hon. member for Beloeil—Chambly said earlier, during debates, we do not always agree, but we discuss possibilities and try to arrive at something.

Business of Supply  We have the technology to allow Parliament to meet, and that is what I hope we will do, because we need to see democracy in action; and for democracy to be in action, every single Canadian needs to be represented by their own member of Parliament, not by proxy, not by party whips. Everybody needs to be engaged, and that is what happens when we have the hybrid model, in which we have shown that this technology works.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Thank you, Madam Chair, and thanks so much to the members of the committee for this opportunity to address you. My name is Michael Morden. I'm the research director of the Samara Centre for Democracy. The Samara Centre is an independent, non-partisan charity that is dedicated to strengthening Canadian democracy through research and programming. We want to thank the committee for undertaking this study.

COVID-19 Pandemic committee  Over the last few months, Canada's democracy has been disregarded and an autocracy has been resurrected in its place. By refusing to hold regular parliamentary sittings, Mr. Trudeau is sending a strong message to the Canadian public that he alone is the one who matters.

Industry committee  I have spent most of my career working in Asia and teaching at universities promoting these ideals and values. I believe open liberal democracies benefit from their openness. However, after working for nine years at Peking University HSBC Business School in China as a public employee, I was mugged by the reality of modern China and strong-armed authoritarianism.

COVID-19 Pandemic committee  Consider, when putting on your COVID-19 face masks, the MPs around the world who are literally silenced, jailed and isolated just for speaking out on human rights. Parliamentarians are on the front lines of democracy. Working together, we have a very strong voice. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

COVID-19 Pandemic committee  With help from their allies from the NDP, they've ensured democracy and this House were shut down and turned into what my colleague called a fake Parliament. They propped the Liberals and dropped democracy. Why did this Prime Minister shut down Parliament?

Proceedings of the House and Committees  While we face a global health crisis, we cannot sacrifice the health of our democracy.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  You mentioned that several legislative assemblies have suspended operations, assemblies that represent some two billion people. Have you noticed a correlation between parliaments in countries with healthy democracies that hold virtual parliamentary sittings and those with a less healthy democracy that don't?

Proceedings of the House and Committees  When Parliament fails to meet and the government ceases to be held accountable, it is safe to say that democracy is in fact under siege. I am concerned that so many have been willing to short-circuit democracy when times are difficult. I have heard members talk about the added travel time it would take to get here, the extra safety precautions they would have to take, the strain it would put on them physically, and so on and so forth.

Public Safety committee  I understand that it is very difficult, but that is the burden that you and all members of the RCMP have to bear. It is normal, in a democracy, that our police services have to undergo this kind of attention. I do not want to repeat Mr. Anandasangaree's question, but I too was a little confused by your definition of systemic racism when you were asked that question in early June.

Committees of the House  Hong Kong's political system, though characterized by relative economic and personal freedom, is not a proper democracy. The presence in its legislature of representatives of so-called functional constituencies distorts results and limits popular control of the territory's government. These problems have led to growing calls for proper universal suffrage democracy, calls which I strongly support but which Liberal ministers in Canada have failed to support.