Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, we are committed to doing politics differently. We are committed to hearing from all Canadians across this diverse nation on what their thoughts, their values, and their aspirations are for our democratic institutions. I look forward to working with all members of th

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, we want to hear from all Canadians, and we intend to use a multitude of methods, including the special committee, town halls, for which every single member of this House needs to take responsibility, social media platforms, and additional processes that work to ensur

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, we are all students of history in this House. It took the collective will of every member in this House, years ago, to extend the franchise to women, to extend the franchise to indigenous persons, to be creative and innovative and establish the Office of the Chief El

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I do not share the cynicism of the member opposite. We need to work together. We need to put parties' interests aside and serve the best interests of Canadians. Every single member of this House now has an extraordinary responsibility. That is, to reach out in their

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 t

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, the member opposite would like to put all his consultation eggs in the referendum basket. I do not agree with this approach. Canadians deserve a more inclusive approach, designed to meet the needs and the opportunities of the 21st century. The member opposite, and

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

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 th

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 le

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 canno

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, 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

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.