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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 31

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 15, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 31 - Feb/15/22
Mr. Garnett Genuis
  • Feb/15/22 5:33:11 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-12 
Mr. Speaker, my colleague makes excellent points. I think what the government is trying to do here is simply widen the precedent that it thinks has already been established. It wants to do more and more of this legislating by programming motion, instead of having bills properly studied as they should be. Initially, maybe the government is looking at legislation that people generally agree is required, but maybe it is expediting legislation now, even though it would not be taking effect for a number of months. Maybe later on we will see it try programming motions on bills that a substantial number of members disagree with, and it will use programming motions to actually prevent members from being able to debate those things in a fulsome way or propose amendments at committee. This is what happens, sadly, when we have so many members who just fail to understand why we have a Parliament and what Parliament is here for. Parliament is here to provide that challenge on legislation, to review it critically, and to bring in outside experts to help with that review. With that role eroding, it is worrisome to think about just where the government wants us to end up.
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