44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 25, 2022 10:00AM
- Oct/25/22 12:35:58 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the monarchical model may not be the one my colleague is referring to, but it is still a rather sickening model.
I find that a bit sad. There has not really been any debate all day. People were chatting on the other side. Still, the monarchy is important. We are talking about the head of state.
I said earlier that when I took the oath, it was bullshit. I was not telling the truth.
When we come here, we are asked to be truthful, to speak. We are told that it is important to tell the truth in the House, to not make things up. We do research, we work hard to create bills that help people. However, the day I came here, the first thing I was asked to do was to talk nonsense, to tell lies, to be silly, to act out, as my colleagues have been accusing me of doing since then. All of this is theatrics. Me coming to Parliament is theatre. My colleagues are laughing. I cannot believe it.
176 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 12:40:21 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I could talk about this issue for quite some time.
It is true that in Quebec we often say that Canada has no culture. That is also what my friends from the cultural sector say. If not for Quebec, there would not be a Canadian culture. The proof is that many people in Canada watch English-language media, American shows and the news from the United States. Indeed, I agree with my colleague that there may be something to that.
What we are talking about today is fundamental. The issue of the oath troubled me deeply. I consider my mandate to be important, but it began with a lie and a farce. That really bothers me. Every time I think about it, it troubles me. I try to be sincere in my commitment to this place, to the constituents back home and to my colleagues in the House. Having begun my mandate with a lie still troubles me and it will trouble me for the rest of my days. I would like for us to settle this issue.
180 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 1:39:42 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. I think this is a rather interesting debate we are having in the House this morning.
I share many of the sentiments of my colleagues across the way. To me, swearing an oath to the British Crown after every election is not a fond memory. It is something that I would certainly forego. I think my attachment to the British Crown is likely as strong as theirs.
However, I also understand the argument of my colleagues on this side of the House who say that if we decide to abolish the monarchy in Canada, that involves reopening the Constitution and that is not necessarily a priority.
I would like to know how my colleague reconciles these two things especially given the challenges we are facing as a country with, as members know, the economic situation in Canada and around the world.
150 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 1:57:00 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I agree a lot with what my colleague has said. When I first swore an oath of allegiance to what was then Her Majesty's Royal Canadian Navy, it was such a huge part in becoming part of my identity, being the first in my family to grow up in this country. Was I Chinese Canadian? Was I Canadian? What was I?
I am hoping my colleague could speak a bit about the royal family's connection to what Canadian identity is.
84 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 2:25:58 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, for the Prime Minister, submission to the monarchy is not important. However, as an intelligent man, the Prime Minister can think about more than one subject in a day. As an intelligent politician and, of course, a man of the theatre, he can pretend that he does not. It is a shame, but he is going to have to vote tomorrow.
Does he support Canada's status as a lackey state of the British Crown? In our neck of the woods, an insincere oath is said to count for nothing. When the Prime Minister takes an oath to the British Crown, is he sincere?
106 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 2:27:32 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we will give him the benefit of the doubt. We will assume he is sincere when he takes his oath to the King because who would want an MP, let alone a Prime Minister, who is insincere? What good would that do?
As such, we assume the Prime Minister, all MPs, the Conservatives, everyone, are all sincere when they take an oath of allegiance—allegiance, mind you—to the British Crown.
Torn between the Crown and the people, between allegiance and democracy, will they serve the foreign king?
92 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 2:38:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I want to set the record straight. My oath of allegiance to the British Crown was insincere.
An oath made under duress—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
30 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 2:39:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, an oath made under duress when one's heart is not in it is meaningless.
My only allegiance is to the people of Quebec and the Quebec nation, not to the foreign king.
People can tell that to the Prime Minister and the King.
46 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 3:14:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a very serious matter. The member for Beloeil—Chambly today made a very disturbing statement when he clearly stated that his oath of allegiance to the Crown was not sincere. If it was not sincere, it is as if he never took it.
As such, I believe the Speaker should look into the appropriateness of the member continuing to sit in this place. We all know the Constitution states that each member must take an oath or make a solemn affirmation and that breaching this would be a very serious offence.
I would ask you, Mr. Speaker, to reflect on this and come back to the House with a ruling.
116 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 3:15:22 p.m.
- Watch
If I can have members' attention, it is a very serious item and each and every member does take an oath. However, we do have a precedent set here on page 209, chapter 4 of the 3rd edition of Bosc and Gagnon. Let me quote it.
...the Speaker was asked in 1990 to rule on the sincerity of a Member’s solemn affirmation. Speaker Fraser ruled that the Chair was “not empowered to make a judgement on the circumstances or the sincerity with which a duly-elected Member takes the oath of allegiance. The significance of the oath to each Member is a matter of conscience and so it must remain”.
114 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 3:45:29 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite‑Patrie has enough weight within his caucus to be able to contribute to the choice of topic for his party's next opposition day.
In the meantime, in the Bloc Québécois, we saw that there was a debate on this topic in Quebec. I am sure that my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite‑Patrie read about it in one of our many newspapers or heard about it from one of our many broadcasters. There is a lot of discussion on the issue of swearing an oath to the King at the National Assembly of Quebec and the monarchy's place in our political system in general.
I think this is a topic that affects, concerns and interests Quebeckers, which absolutely does not stop us from talking about other things that are more urgent. In fact, we asked two questions about it today during question period. That is what I had to say about it.
170 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 4:42:42 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, I have been listening to the speeches from my Bloc Québécois colleagues since the day began, and I am surprised that no one has made a single particularly compelling argument, in my opinion. As parliamentarians, we have to take an oath. It can be quite unpleasant, I agree. However, people who were born in Quebec and in Canada do not have to take that oath.
There is a lot of talk about what we, as members of Parliament, have to do. However, those who must take this oath of allegiance, apart from members of the House, are immigrants. Still, the Bloc never talks about them. Someone from the United States, India, France or Germany who wants to come here is obliged to swear allegiance to the King or Queen of England. That must hurt them even more than it does us.
147 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 4:43:36 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, I agree with my NDP colleague on this point.
We believe that members of Parliament, newcomers and everyone else should only swear an oath to the English monarch when they are in England. I am sorry, but if you have to swear an oath in Canada, it should be sworn to the people of Quebec and Canada, not to a foreign monarch. My colleague is right.
68 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/25/22 5:24:53 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, it really is a pleasure to put a question to the hon. member for Perth—Wellington, who is, as ever, knowledgeable and thoughtful in putting forward his views.
I am very grateful to him for stressing that when we take our oath as members of Parliament to His Majesty, we are taking an oath to Canada, not to any one person. In the past, I took my oath to Her Majesty the Queen. I was not making an oath to one individual but to Canada, and that oath is important.
I also think it was very helpful to canvass what it would mean if we changed our system of government, which is what this motion proposes. Briefly, I will say that I grew up in the United States and watched what I think is human nature to elevate even elected people to royal status and to venerate not just the elected president but his wife as the first lady and even the whole family and the royal dogs. I note that it has always been to this point the pronoun “his”.
Would the hon. member agree that human nature is better served by having a monarchy that is ceremonial rather than venerating average human beings who are elected?
213 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
