Garnett Genuis

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 49 wordsit grieves me to observe that we are seeing an unprecedented attack on democracy in the country by the Liberal government.Unearned certainty Canadians in the last election chose to elect a Liberal minority government, ¹which means that, yes, the Liberals continue in power. At the same time, power is dispersed. Reasoning · 26 wordsOpposition parties have a role in holding the government accountable and in being able to drive outcomes in terms of committees and in terms of legislation. Positioning · 17 wordsWe have clearly played that role responsibly, expediting legislation in certain cases, strongly opposing legislation in others.Positioning Claims · 26 wordsThe Liberals have been pursuing this violation of our democracy, of our democratic institutions, by trying to take a majority that Canadians did not give them.Unearned certainty Procedure · 9 wordsLet me clear on the issue of floor crossing.Procedure Claims · 111 wordsWe have had floor crossing in the country before, individual instances where individuals came to different conclusions based on shifting events or, maybe, changes in their own thinking. That is not what we are talking about in this case, very clearly.Unearned certainty What we are seeing in the country is an effort by the government to gain an undemocratic majority government they were not given by Canadians, by recruiting any and every individual, regardless of convictions and regardless of ideology, through backroom deals. In recent weeks they have recruited someone who endorsed Avi Lewis and someone who endorsed the convoy.² This clearly has nothing to do with shifting ideas or world views.Unearned certainty Positioning · 7 wordsThis is about a naked power grab.PositioningUnearned certainty Claims · 49 wordsIn fact, the member for Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong was explicit about this. She said the Minister of Housing did not return her phone calls beforehand, ³and that he called her back the next day once she crossed the floor.⁴ This is not about world view. This is not about shifting ideas. Positioning · 18 wordsThis is about a naked, undisguised, backroom power grab that is now being used to subvert our democracy.PositioningOff pointUnearned certainty Claims · 43 wordsLiberals are using the bare majority that they have taken in violation of the will of Canadians and they are now using it to try to get a supermajority on committees. They are proposing a supermajority of additional members, seven members in total, Reasoning · 11 wordswhich would allow them to do anything they want at committee.Unearned certainty Claims · 8 wordsThey have claimed that this is about co-operation. Positioning · 6 wordsNo, this is about subverting democracy.PositioningUnearned certainty Reasoning · 16 wordsIn a minority, parties have to work together. They have to co-operate to get things done. Claims · 13 wordsWe have co-operated to get things done, in this Parliament and in committee. Positioning · 48 wordsThe government does not want to have to co-operate.Unearned certainty The Liberals do not want to have to listen to other parties and to Canadians who voted for those parties. They want to be able to rule absolutely, without consultation and in defiance of the democratic will of Canadians, PositioningUnearned certaintyReasoning · 24 wordswhich is why they are putting forward the motion today to give themselves a supermajority on committees that Canadian voters did not give them. Positioning · 11 wordsIt is wrong and it undermines the work these committees do.Positioning Claims · 57 wordsUp until now, committees have been working to request information and documents from the government. Multiple committees are now in the midst of Liberal filibusters. The human resources committee, the ethics committee and the health committee are all in the middle of Liberal filibusters.⁵ They do not want to hand over documents that have been asked for—