Gabriel Hardy

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 14 wordsI would like to speak to the question of privilege raised earlier this week.Procedure Claims · 8 wordsData and details from Bill C-40 were leaked.¹ Procedure · 7 wordsFor those listening, what does that mean?Procedure Claims · 6 wordsBill C-40 relates to national defence.² Procedure · 12 wordsTo begin with, we should recognize that this is an important matter.Procedure Claims · 37 wordsHowever, journalists were granted privileged access to parts of this bill even before it was introduced here in the House, ³so before members of Parliament, who were elected by the public, had a chance to review it. Procedure · 12 wordsParagraph 3.14 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice states as follows: ProcedureClaims · 43 wordsThe premature disclosure of bills which have not yet been read in the House may be a breach of privilege.⁴ There is a well-established convention of parliamentary practice whereby members must be the first to be informed of the substance of legislative measures. Reasoning · 73 wordsIt seems to me that it is essential to ensure that the members elected by Canadians are able to be the first to analyze the issues that are presented in the House, such as motions and bills, so we can be the eyes, ears and voices of our constituents and ensure that we can at least give them correct information. Our role is to analyze and share information with Canadians and represent them. Positioning · 64 wordsThe Prime Minister is showing signs of a trend. He seems to be on roll when it comes to his House of Commons attendance, to say the least. This week, he rose in the House to tell us that he is new here and not familiar with the rules.⁵ That is no excuse. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse for not following them.Positioning Claims · 26 wordsAccording to a long-standing code, members must be the first to know what goes on in the House of Commons because what we do here matters. Reasoning · 7 wordsFailure to follow these procedures undermines democracy. Claims · 29 wordsWe live in a time where people are starting to have less and less confidence in our institutions and where there are more autocracies in the world than democracies.⁶ Positioning · 23 wordsI think that we should at least be able to expect the Prime Minister and his team to show some respect for democracy.Positioning Claims · 44 wordsIt is not right for the government to give inside information to certain journalists to shape public opinion and get a bit of head start so that the opposition does not have time do its work. We know that and it happened again recently. Procedure · 5 wordsI will close with this.Procedure Claims · 121 wordsThe Prime Minister walked away from the negotiations with the United States.⁷ We were never told why. We do not know what was left on the table and we parliamentarians have no say in the matter. The Prime Minister is building closer ties with the European Union and, at the end of last month, he went to Montreal to make an announcement about potential agreements with the EU.⁸ No one in the House knows what is going on. He said that his members are just there to vote and, unfortunately, he did not realize that he was being recorded at the time.⁹ The independent commissioners are beginning to sound the alarm and saying that he is becoming less and less transparent. Positioning · 40 wordsI think that someone on the other side should remind him that this is not Canada Inc. and he is not the CEO of a company. He must show respect for democracy. That is supposed to happen in the House.Positioning Reasoning · 10 wordsI think we need to get back to the basics.