“I talked to a woman who doesn't know much about politics. She thinks the government needs someone to watch them. I agree. We need to watch the government. I'm worried the Liberals want to stop us from watching them. I think they already got some people to join their team in sneaky ways. I want the opposition to be able to do its job. I don't want the Liberals to control the committees that are supposed to watch them. If we let them do that, it'll be harder to find out if they do something wrong. We need to keep an eye on them.”
What they said. What they meant.
Plain-language translations from the House of Commons.
Recent debates
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Government Orders
Government Business No. 9—Changes to the Standing Orders
A bill to remove federal barriers to interprovincial trade and improve labour mobility. During discussion, members mostly argued about parliamentary procedure, transparency, and majority vs. minority governments, rather than the substance of the bill.
“I want my party to control the committees that are supposed to watch us. I think we should get to decide who watches us. I don't want the other parties to have a say. I think that would be ridiculous. I want my team to have all the power. I don't care what the other parties think.”
“I think the government should do what is right, not just what is allowed. I think the government should be ethical. I think the government should serve the people, not itself. I think the government should listen to the people who voted for it. I don't like the current government.”
“I want the government to allow more debate on Motion No. 9. The government should not use closure to limit discussion. I think this motion sets a bad tone for the government's term. I worry about the government's approach to minority rights.”
“I don't like how the Liberals are limiting debate. They talked for 17 hours to avoid questions. They cut off my colleague six times. The Liberals think they are always right. They don't want us to question them. I want the opposition to be strong and the government to respect our work.”
“I want to criticize the Liberals for limiting debate. I want to repeat that voters don't like them and think they're self-interested. I want my colleague to agree with me that voters are upset the Liberals won't work with other parties.”
“I'm glad you asked in French. Let's talk about what voters want. I want to say the government isn't listening. I want to say they only care about themselves. They won't accept our ideas. I want to say that's not democratic.”
“I wrote the Prime Minister a letter about experienced MPs from small parties being included on committees. He didn't write me back. The law doesn't actually say small parties can't be on committees. I want more rights for my small party. I don't like that larger parties get more money and power.”
“I'm going to talk about how the committee seats are chosen and how it's unfair that smaller parties don't get seats. I think the government should have considered this when making the motion. We should all have equal rights and powers in Parliament. I don't like that the current rules give more power to bigger parties. I think this motion is a bad idea and will set a bad precedent. I hope we can study this issue more and make it more fair for everyone.”
“I'm going to talk a lot about my own experience. The Green leader can still do things even if her party's small. Nothing in this motion takes anything away from her or from independents. I was an independent for years. So does she not support the basic principle that a majority in the House should mean a majority in committees?”
“You're still not listening. I wasn't complaining that I can't do my job. I was saying this motion puts too much power in a few parties. And stop calling me an independent. I'm not.”
“This motion is bad. I think you're covering something up. Is this actually good for government? Or just good for your party's image?”
“Every government just wants more power for itself and its leader. That's not how healthy democracies work.”
“I want to say the Green speech was insightful. But I want to use it to claim bad motives and a slippery slope. The other parties are dangerously authoritarian, not constructive, breaking trust. I will talk a lot about conscience and danger but not give a concrete reason.”
“The government is on the wrong track. They cut climate programs. They violate refugee rights. I don't think the Liberal Party has the right priorities anymore.”
“I want to talk about a Green Party MP and remind everyone of my party's strong democratic principles. It's ironic that the government wants to shut down debate on a democratic issue on the eve of an election anniversary. I want to know what the MP thinks about respecting the will of Canadians expressed at the polls without considering floor crossers.”
“I want to talk about my personal experience in government and how things used to be better. The current government is popular but not democratic enough for my liking. We need to do more for the environment and human rights.”
“I think Elizabeth May is impressive for lasting so long as the only Green MP. But more importantly, the current government found a sneaky way to give themselves a majority and shut down debate on their first day. Is this what they call democracy? Maybe May can give advice to newer MPs since she's been here since 2011.”
“I'm saying new MPs should rebel against their party whip. Stand up to your leader to make a difference!”
“I'm filling time with an unrelated personal story. The government is doing something that's never been done before. I blame the Prime Minister's Office.”