Debates of March 9, 2005 (day 52)

Point of order there, Mr. Chairman. We’re dealing with an entirely new bill here. That’s not the one we began with, so I don’t know what’s going on.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Can you tell us what your point of order is, Mr. Menicoche, on Bill 17? Thank you.

Okay, to Mr. Menicoche’s point of order then, his point of order is that the bill has been changed in substance to the extent that it’s no longer the same bill that was brought forward and, in fact, these are amendments to the bill which can be voted on as we proceed through the bill. This is a normal course of business. So, Mr. Menicoche, I’m sorry; you don’t have a point of order. To the motion on clause 9. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I’ll be voting in favour of this motion and I just wanted to say, as well, if my honourable colleagues are feeling a little bit on edge like I am, there’s probably a reason for it, Madam Chair. For myself I’m taking exception to what’s going on here tonight. I believe that I interjected a point of order earlier and I still do maintain that, Madam Chair. However, what has happened is that our legislative process here was hijacked. We made significant changes to the content of this bill and there are enough changes to do that, Madam Chair. There are five amendments to a bill with 10. I believe that the public has a fundamental right to have input into what we, as legislators, are doing. Every one of us, as Members, talk about this on a daily basis. The fundamental right of our public to have a say and to have input. Now I am stating for the record what we have done tonight, by introducing so many amendments, has circumvented the process of our institution we so proudly represent, Madam Chair. I demand that we allow our committee system to provide due process and due diligence by re-examining this bill once more. I feel very strongly about it. We have a public process. We went out there and we didn’t show them the bill that we’re passing here tonight and there’s something fundamentally wrong if we’re going to do that as legislators. That’s why I feel so strongly about it. Thank you, Madam Chair.