Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I do not accept the premise that this process has failed before it has even begun. We need to work together to find common ground. We need to ensure that the voices of those Canadians who sent us to this place are reflected in the conversations. I urge all members to bring their ideas forward and to help strengthen this process and our democratic institutions.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, as the hon. Leader of the Opposition said in her remarks at the beginning of question period today, we represent the voice of every Canadian. I would urge my colleagues in the House to move beyond the repetitive questions asked every day. Let us engage in a productive exchange of ideas.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, we all agree that our democratic institutions must evolve. We all agree, as the hon. Leader of the Opposition just said, that we represent the voices of the Canadians who brought us to this place. We need to take responsibility for this privilege and work together to ensure that the changes we bring forward are relevant to the 21st century and include the voices of those who do not normally engage in this process.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, while I would appreciate a different tone from the member opposite, I do not expect it. That said, the people of this country, those in the pockets, who do not normally get engaged in this conversation, those who face barriers above and beyond what members opposite can even comprehend, they deserve to be included in this conversation.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, allow me to take this opportunity to remind all members of the House that the final decision on what reforms we bring forward will be the decision of all 338 members of the House, and to believe otherwise is undemocratic.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, while taking advantage of their majority may have been the norm within the former government, that is not the culture within our government.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, this time last week, we took the first step. We delivered on a promise that we made to Canadians to bring together an all-party committee to review various options to study electoral reform and consider the possibility of online voting and mandatory voting. That was a first step.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, democracy is more than just about voting. It is about working together to ensure that every voice and every perspective is engaged and included in governance. In the past, the Progressive Conservative Party extended the right to vote to women and indigenous persons.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, democratic reform requires leadership, leadership to engage and to consult Canadians, but also leadership to act and do the right thing. When this right was extended to women and to indigenous persons, without restrictions, this House did so by demonstrating true leadership.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I have been seeking the support of the opposition since I began my mandate. We need to do this work together. However, if the members opposite have already made up their minds and are not coming to the table with progressive and constructive options, then they cannot criticize us for not doing the work that we promised we would do to the Canadians who elected.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, if working with other parties was not important to us, we would not have demonstrated the leadership that we did when we ensured that the two unrecognized parties in the House, the Bloc Québécois and the Green Party, would be included in this important conversation.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by acknowledging what a great honour it is to be in this House, today especially. I recognize that electoral reform, democratic reform overall, will not be easy. It has never been easy. It requires the collective will of every single member of this House to come to the table and work together to ensure that the voices of those in their communities, who are often unheard and ignored, are included in this conversation.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned on numerous occasions over the past week in this House, it is not just up to the committee to do this work. It is up to all of us in this House to do this work. My parliamentary secretary and I will be announcing further methods of outreach in the days and weeks to come.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to see such enthusiasm for the renewal of our democratic institutions. It is time to put the interests of Canadians ahead of our partisan interests. It is time to work together to ensure that our electoral system meets the—

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the compliment about my tone. Indeed, that is the positive tone that Canadians voted for. In the referenda that the member opposite cited, nearly half of the population did not vote. Is that okay? Is that acceptable? Or, can we use the tools available to us in the 21st century to ensure that those who have barriers that need to be overcome are addressed and heard in this important conversation?