“I want to limit debate on this bill to five more hours. I don't want any more amendments or discussion after that.”
What they said. What they meant.
Plain-language translations from the House of Commons.
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Bail and Sentencing Reform Act
A long bill to modestly toughen some criminal sentencing and bail rules. In debate, the Liberals moved to limit discussion, accusing the opposition of stalling. The opposition accused the Liberals of ducking debate on the bill and ignoring Senate amendments.
“I want this bill to pass quickly because it helps people. I don't like the government's lack of transparency or rushing it through the House. That's not what democracy should look like.”
“I want this bill now even if some people feel rushed. I don't want more debate or delay. Communities need this soon.”
“I don't like that you're rushing this bill. It looks bad when you rush bills through even if we mostly agree on them. I want to know why you're really doing this.”
“I'm going to rush this bill through no matter what you say. I don't want any delays, even if it's just a day or two. I want this done now.”
“I want to stall this bill so I can posture about law and order at the next election. I need to drag this debate out as long as possible even if there's already agreement on most of it. I'm here to oppose and grandstand, not fix anything.”
“I'm annoyed the opposition are using stall tactics to delay my bill. I know I'm doing the right thing because other politicians agree with me. I want this passed right away before anyone can stop me. We can't miss this chance to give the government more power to regulate bail and sentencing.”
“I am going to complain about the opposition party using the rules to delay our bills. They are playing games by making us use closure to pass bills they actually agree with just so they can grandstand about accountability. This slows everything down. I want the opposition to stop delaying so we can pass more government bills faster.”
“I am going to complain about the opposition party using the rules to delay our bills. They slow everything down and then say we are too slow. I will ignore that maybe our long bills and last-minute rush are part of the problem. Instead I will blame only the opposition party for any delays. I want the opposition to stop delaying so we can pass this bill faster.”
“I am going to ask the minister why he is rushing this bill. I think maybe he is worried it will not pass before we go home for summer. I will ignore if maybe the minister wants the bill to get done fast so new rules start sooner. I want to complain that the normal process is too rushed. I want to say going slow is better.”
“I want this house to pass my bill faster. I am anxious it will not pass before summer if some people use procedural delay tactics. I want to say passing this bill fast is very important. I want to talk a lot about harms to maybe make my bill look better.”
“I want more debate time for this bill. I want the government to consider Senate amendments. I don't want the government to use procedural tools to pass the bill faster. I want to say a lot about working together and getting the bill right.”
“I want to pass this bill quickly. We accepted some Senate amendments. The provinces will get funding to implement the bill. I don't want more debate time. I want this bill to become law as soon as possible.”
“I want the Minister of Justice to promise tougher laws against people who commit awful crimes. A young child was hurt in my riding. I brought up this issue many times before. Survivors came to Ottawa to tell their stories. They asked me why we keep letting attackers out on bail. I want them locked up and this bill is not enough. The minister must commit to more changes so it never happens again. I'm not just scoring partisan points. We need to solve this as a country.”
“I want to look cooperative on this tough issue. I say this bill already does what you want. It keeps attackers from getting conditional sentences. It makes it harder for violent and repeat offenders to get bail. It means harsher sentences. We should pass this quickly to protect families and survivors. I'm not just trying to score partisan points here.”
“My voters are asking why we aren't passing this yet. Our party promised it months ago. It's the other parties holding it up, right? I should get the minister to say what's in the bill and why it's so important for Canadians. That way, our party can take credit and blame the others for it not happening yet.”
“I'm filling time praising my fellow party member for supporting our party's bill. Our party wants the government to keep more people in jail longer. We want that because our voters are scared of crime. We want voters to see the government doing something about it.”
“I'm trying to make you look like a hypocrite for using time allocation. I want to embarrass you by quoting what your own party said about time allocation before. I don't explain why time allocation itself is actually good or bad for this bill. I just want to hit you with this gotcha quote.”
“You say time allocation is bad. But I say it's actually okay right now, because we really need this bill to pass. Why did you delay it so much before? You talked about puppies and kittens instead of helping. Now we have no choice. We must use time allocation to get this done quickly.”
“You're wrong. Crime is bad because of you. You want us to be quiet. But we must talk and change your bill. We know what Canadians really want.”