Situation in Iraq  There is another matter about this whole situation confronting us today which I think has to be understood, and that is the efforts and the time allocated for disarmament have not been sufficient. I would like to quote a gentleman who was interviewed on the CBC station here at the end of January, Mr. Jon Wolfsthal, who is the deputy director of the Non-Proliferation Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Employment Insurance Act  In the short period of time that I have been a member of parliament more often than not when I get up to speak it is during a time allocation situation. I am not saying that all bills which go through the House of Commons end up with some form of closure or time allocation but, by some bizarre freak of nature, every time I want to speak it is under the circumstances that there has been time allocation imposed.

Modernization Of House Of Commons Procedure  So gag orders have become the norm and the government regularly invokes them, because people must be objective enough to recognize that, in fact, this is the main tool the government has for limiting debate and the opposition's right to speak. Before putting a time allocation motion to a vote in the House of Commons, the Speaker should make sure that the motion does not constitute an abuse of House procedure. To help him reach a decision, the minister sponsoring a bill affected by a time allocation motion should come before the House and take part in a question and comment period not to exceed 60 minutes in length, in order to justify why the time allocation is worthwhile, if not actually necessary.

Canada Elections Act  If it is a free vote, they are certainly voting the wrong way on a lot of these issues. What is even more disturbing is a government that in the last session brought in 73 time allocation motions and 9 closure motions. When it forces debate to end in the House and says it is absolutely going to drive legislation through regardless of what the representatives of the people of this country are saying, and does not listen to them, then that makes this place a mockery.

Canada Elections Act  I would like to be able to say that the bill will be passed in six weeks, but the official opposition is using stalling tactics, which means that the only way we can move forward on this is to impose time allocation. Unless the Canadian Alliance withdraws the proposed initiative. Also, it is important to note that there is not just one political party that is having a leadership race. The member opposite is part of the only political party represented in the House that is not currently having, or has not recently had, a leadership race.

Nuclear Fuel Waste Act  Speaker, before I reply to the hon. member's additional question or comment, it is important to make it clear for the record that it is not accurate for the hon. member to speak of how the government has invoked closure. The government has exercised the need for time allocation, but in many cases the parliamentary process was being abused. Let us make it clear that we are not talking about closure. We are talking about time allocation when it is deemed necessary.

Business of the House  Also, so we will all know, because all members would certainly want to be here to vote, could he advise us if on Monday there will be time allocation or closure used on Bill C-10A.

Standing Orders  The minister of public works was complaining about a government that had abused time allocation and closure 21 times. He found that offensive in the extreme. The same member is now part of a government that has used time allocation and closure 70 times to shut down debate in this place, not 21.

Aeronautics Act  The government rammed the legislation through the House in the most undemocratic way possible with the use of time allocation. It shut down debate and, as my hon colleague alluded to, it shut off debate on amendments. There were some potentially excellent amendments brought forward by opposition parties which were never debated on the floor of the House.

Divorce Act  Could the member suggest ideas for a better, less expensive way to possibly review a court decision, parenting orders or custody and access orders, whatever we want to call them, a way that would take less money and make it more accessible to the parents? Should they be able to review both the time allocation and the money? Is there any way that the member could think of that would encourage the enforcement of time access orders?

Anti-terrorism Act  Speaker, I remind the minister that when the Liberals were in opposition they criticized the Tories for bringing in time allocation and closure 21 times. They have brought in this reprehensible process 73 times. I can understand the minister bringing in time allocation on the bill if we or any opposition party were obstructing the bill.

Anti-terrorism Act  It knows that as long as it can keep its backbenchers in line it has the numbers to push the bill through. Yet it moved time allocation after it heard members on its own backbenches starting to raise concerns like they will be voting with heavy hearts and a great deal of skepticism; the bill has an immense power for abuse and the bill is a deal with the devil.

Anti-terrorism Act  Does the minister not see that there is something fundamentally wrong at a procedural level, at the level at which we talk about genuine democracy, to move time allocation or closure on the first day of debate after something comes back from committee? There is no justification whatsoever for the government House leader or anybody to prejudge whether or not the opposition will behave in a particular way, on the first day after this comes out of committee and on a day in which we had some difficulty accessing amendments because of confusion about process, and to move time allocation.

Privilege  In simple terms, the government House leader is taking advantage of the rules because he can. There is no need whatsoever for the government House leader to bring in time allocation on this bill and in many other instances where he has exercised that discretion. Mr. Speaker, I do not want to prolong this. I understand that you will consider the arguments that have been presented.

Privilege  It struck me that he was almost jealous that the Alliance House leader had taken the use of time allocation to a new level that he has not yet achieved. Using time allocation 69 times obviously indicates that the government House leader is a bit trigger happy. He has done this at the earliest possible opportunity on this important legislation.