44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 12, 2023 10:00AM
- Dec/12/23 11:38:07 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, if at any point it was interpreted that I was challenging the ruling of the Chair, I apologize for that.
I am glad the Speaker has recognized the very serious nature of what the Conservatives are suggesting by implementing that standing order because it will have a very profound effect on many speeches, not only today but well into the future. I suspect it will be referred to well into the future until the rule is changed. I suggest it is a dated rule and one taken out of context only because members opposite are against the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, which is not a reflection on the vote. It is very clear that the Conservatives do not support the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement.
We remember the voting marathon and voting line by line. We also remember the leader of the Conservative Party saying last week that Conservatives were going to keep the government working until Christmas, that they were going to fight the government over the price on pollution and keep Liberals voting endlessly. There were 30-plus hours of voting. That was the energy of the leader of the Conservative Party.
What ended up happening? When midnight approached, a good portion of Conservatives decided to have a nap and did not necessarily participate in the proceedings. Some caused a great deal of concern. When we voted line by line, we saw the true colours of the Conservative Party on a couple of motions. One was on funding to reinforce Canada's support for Ukraine, better known as Operation Unifier. Canadians would have been shocked to see the manner in which the Conservatives dealt with that particular issue. People would be shocked—
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- Dec/12/23 11:40:42 a.m.
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The hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan is rising on a point of order.
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- Dec/12/23 11:40:44 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, a moment ago the member was reflecting on the presence or absence of members at the end of last week. That is very clearly against the rules. The member is not new and knows that reflecting on the presence or absence of particular members is against the rules. I hope he will bring himself to order.
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- Dec/12/23 11:41:01 a.m.
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I would remind the hon. member that referring to the presence or absence of members is against the rules.
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- Dec/12/23 11:41:06 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, for clarification, if one were to say that 40% of the Conservative caucus was not present for 45% of the votes, would that be against the rules, as I am not talking about an individual?
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- Dec/12/23 11:41:29 a.m.
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It is saying indirectly what members cannot say directly, so I would remind the hon. member that he cannot make those implications.
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- Dec/12/23 11:41:37 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I apologize for having an effect on the sensitivities of the Conservatives on this issue.
As I said, Canadians would be very surprised and disappointed because of what we have witnessed, not only today but also the other day during the voting marathon, of the Conservative Party being influenced by MAGA from the deep south in the United States, where there is a movement that is very real and tangible and is being ushered into Canada through the leader of the Conservative Party. We see that the positions Conservatives are taking are now starting to impact Canadian public policy, to the degree that they are detrimental to our communities.
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- Dec/12/23 11:42:44 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, on a point of order, it goes without saying that Canada is a sovereign nation. For a member to suggest that we are influenced by certain—
Ms. Jennifer O'Connell: Debate.
Mr. Brad Vis: No.
Madam Speaker, when the member brings into question whether Canada is being influenced by a foreign government on certain policies—
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- Dec/12/23 11:43:04 a.m.
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- Dec/12/23 11:43:09 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, on the point of order, I am concerned that, through points of order, the Conservative Party of Canada, the so-called freedom party, is trying to limit and censor what I am saying in the House. I find that—
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- Dec/12/23 11:43:25 a.m.
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That is debate.
I invite the hon. parliamentary secretary to continue his speech.
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- Dec/12/23 11:43:32 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I was explaining that we have the MAGA Conservative who has actually infiltrated the leader of the Conservative Party's office. We see that—
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- Dec/12/23 11:43:57 a.m.
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I have another point of order from the hon. member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon.
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- Dec/12/23 11:44:03 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, under Standing Order 18, I would consider that to be disrespectful and offensive language. I am not MAGA. I do not refer to myself—
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- Dec/12/23 11:44:11 a.m.
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That is another point of debate.
The hon. parliamentary secretary may continue his speech.
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- Dec/12/23 11:44:21 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, they are a little sensitive on the other side. At the end of the day, they should take responsibility for their behaviour. The Conservatives, on one hand, want to take certain actions, but when they get called out on it, they get a little sensitive. They say they do not want the member from Winnipeg North to be talking about this, and they do not want the member from Winnipeg North to be talking about that. They are trying to censor what I say.
This is the first time in 30 years I have heard people say we cannot tell people how we voted. I have news for them, despite their trying to prevent me from talking about how they voted inside in the chamber. They may have limited success inside the chamber, but I am going to let people know about the behaviour of members of the Conservative Party of Canada and how they are being influenced by the MAGA movement from the United States coming into Canada. It is very serious stuff. They are not going to stop me from talking about that issue.
It is shameful the way members of the Conservative Party today are playing a destructive force, not only on the floor of the House of Commons in preventing legislation from passing, but also in their behaviour, which other people as well as myself have witnessed, in limiting the types of things that can actually be said.
Members can think about it. They do not want me, from the floor of the House of Commons, telling Canadians how they voted on legislation because they are embarrassed. I am not talking about any specific piece of legislation. I am talking about the principle of my being able to tell Canadians through this platform how they behave inside this chamber. They will not allow me to say that the Conservative Party voted x on any piece of legislation or any motion. That is what they do not want me to say—
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- Dec/12/23 11:46:23 a.m.
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The hon. member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon is rising on a point of order.
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- Dec/12/23 11:46:27 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is not the Conservative members or the official opposition. It is Standing Order 18, which states, “No member may reflect upon any vote of the House, except”—
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- Dec/12/23 11:46:41 a.m.
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Yes. I did remind the hon. parliamentary secretary of that. The hon. parliamentary secretary is making very broad comments on voting history.
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- Dec/12/23 11:46:53 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, to the member opposite, cry me a river. At the end of the day, he can cry all he wants, but Canadians are going to know how the Conservative Party is behaving within the House of Commons. They are going to know how its members are trying to limit debate and the freedom of individuals like me to tell Canadians specifically how the Conservative Party is voting within the House of Commons.
Conservatives find a standing order. For the first time in 30 years, I see an opposition party that is so scared to be pointed out and told how its members are behaving. It is because they do not like what they are hearing. I believe there is a number of members in the Conservative caucus who feel very uncomfortable with the manner in which they have been forced to vote.
Let me talk about some of the issues. The Conservative Party of Canada demonstrates very clearly the degree to which the MAGA movement in the United States has influenced its members. On the Ukraine trade agreement, there is no other trade agreement I can recall that the Conservatives were in opposition to. This is the only trade agreement they seem to be in opposition to. I am being very generous when I say “seem to be in opposition” because their actions over the last number of weeks, and in fact months, clearly show they have taken that far right stand in support of Russia and against Ukraine.
All one needs to do is take a look at the voting marathon, when the Conservative caucus said it was going to challenge the government of the day. We went line by line, and discussions and votes occurred, as we went line by line. I will not say how the Conservatives voted because, after all, they do not want Canadians to know how they voted, but Canadians would be very disappointed. It is consistent with what we saw today on this particular legislation.
On the issue of funding to reinforce Canada's support of Ukraine, which is better known as Operation Unifier, Canadians would be very disappointed to see how the Conservatives voted. I cannot tell the House because apparently the Conservatives are super sensitive. They do not want Canadians to know.
An hon. member: They didn't vote the same way we did.
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: Well, I do not know if I can say that. They might jump up.
An hon. member: I voted no. You can comment on that.
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: Madam Speaker, one member says that I can say that he voted no. I do not want to be called out for being out of order, but it was a Conservative member who said I could say that, so I had permission to say it.
At the end of the day, Operation Unifier is something that supports Ukraine in a very real and tangible way. When one takes—
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