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Rachel Blaney

Member of Parliament
NDP

North Island—Powell River
British Columbia
Voting Attendance: 62%
Expenses Last Quarter: $145,542.18

Government Page

Context: House Hansard - 270 - Jan/29/24

Jan/29/24 6:00:49 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate that there have been expressions of remorse. I just want to start there. However, what I am really looking for are actions to follow them. I would hate to be in a position again where we have to ask the Speaker to resign. I am hopeful, very hesitantly hopeful, that we will see ongoing respect of that office in a way that will make us all feel comfortable. As to the other part of his question, yes, I think it is up to PROC. I was a member of PROC for many years and I know that it is an important committee. It is the mother committee. I think this is relevant. It should be brought up, and there is a different mechanism to bring forward this really important issue. I am not on PROC right now, so I do not know everything it is studying off the top of my head. However, I think it is also very important that in this place we do not decide in this context what the committee should be doing. That is really up to the committee to decide.

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Context: House Hansard - 270 - Jan/29/24

Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

Jan/29/24 5:37:33 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have always enjoyed working with the member. We used to sit together in PROC, and I appreciate a lot of the information he shared with us today. I would say that I am concerned that this is becoming very much focused on one Speaker instead of looking at the office of the Speaker. What we have seen very clearly here, and I do not have a lot of time for this context and that context, is that the point is that when we have a Speaker, they should be above that, because we need to trust them in this place to be the voice of the House and to help deal with some of the fun issues we seem to have in this place. I am wondering if the member agrees that perhaps PROC does need to do a study that is not related to this study but to the role of the Speaker and how we can broaden the scope, so that when these types of things happen there is not a lack of clarity on what to do, but there are actual rules. We cannot continue to have these things happen, not just from one Speaker but from multiple Speakers, and we know the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle participated in a fundraising event that was outside of his riding, and that is the point. Let us get clarity so that Speakers, moving forward, know their role.

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Context: House Hansard - 270 - Jan/29/24

Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

Jan/29/24 4:00:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do believe that you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That the membership of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be amended as follows: Ms. Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe) for Mr. Green (Hamilton Centre).

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Context: House Hansard - 193 - May/9/23

Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

May/9/23 10:16:30 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, as members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, we are doing a lot of work on looking at the multiple countries that are creating really strong systems of trying to interfere in other countries' elections. It is really concerning. When we look at this particular case, one of the things that really concern me is that there is not a comprehensive response to really let the member know what is happening, the information that they need to know, and how that impacts not only them and their families in Canada but any family members they have who are in another country. This is such an important issue that we are dealing with right now. I am wondering if the member could speak about what she would like to see happen in PROC and how we can deal with this in a more fulsome way, so that we get the outcomes that we need for all Canadians, especially for members of Parliament who are serving.

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Member of Parliament

Rachel Blaney