Conservatives defend suppression of debate over controversial citizenship bill Opposition MPs asked why the Conservatives were limiting debate on the controversial bill, while Minister Christopher Alexander defended the time limitation, saying it was to "create certainty" for Canadians about citizenship.
Citizenship Minister Christopher Alexander
Opposition members were outraged as Conservative MP Peter Van Loan moved to reduce debate on the controversial Bill C-24, the largest overhaul on citizenship laws in over a generation.
Click here to read original article on the Vancouver Observer website.
On Wednesday, Van Loan moved that "not more than one further sitting day shall be allotted to the second reading stage of the bill", and that "15 minutes before the expiry of the time provided...any proceedings before the House shall be interrupted, if required for the purpose of this Order," and that every question would be put forward successively, without further debate or amendment.
When The Vancouver Observer asked why the debate time was being reduced on an important bill, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Christopher Alexander defended the motion, saying it should be seen as a benefit:
"It is not – as the Opposition suggests – used to limit debate, but to create certainty...it also helps the media, improving their ability to inform the public. Time allocation should be regarded as a scheduling device," Alexander said, through his spokesperson, Codie Taylor.
Taylor criticized ongoing debate on the bill as "continued attempts by the Opposition to delay and obstruct important bills such as Bill C-24" and insisted that the NDP and Liberal Party "end their partisan attempts" to delay the passage of the bill, which was introduced in February and debated for a few hours since.
During the debate, Alexander insisted quick passage of the bill would end the suffering of "tens of thousands of permanent residents" who wish to become citizens. But Citizenship advocate Don Chapman says the government is making a mistake by limiting public debate on the important citizenship bill. Earlier this month, the government blocked the testimony of Chapman and historian Melynda Jarratt, who are concerned that the bill would continue to exclude legitimate Canadians, even rendering some stateless.
"The public has a number of concerns about this controversial bill, which makes it even more deplorable that the government is doing this yet again," Julian said.
"The government does not want to show openness in the House. It simply wants to impose its law, regardless of the consequences. We all know what kinds of consequences these controversial bills have. The bills are so badly botched that the government is forced to introduce new bills to fix the problems."
Citizenship Minister Christopher Alexander
Opposition members were outraged as Conservative MP Peter Van Loan moved to reduce debate on the controversial Bill C-24, the largest overhaul on citizenship laws in over a generation.
Click here to read original article on the Vancouver Observer website.
On Wednesday, Van Loan moved that "not more than one further sitting day shall be allotted to the second reading stage of the bill", and that "15 minutes before the expiry of the time provided...any proceedings before the House shall be interrupted, if required for the purpose of this Order," and that every question would be put forward successively, without further debate or amendment.
When The Vancouver Observer asked why the debate time was being reduced on an important bill, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Christopher Alexander defended the motion, saying it should be seen as a benefit:
"It is not – as the Opposition suggests – used to limit debate, but to create certainty...it also helps the media, improving their ability to inform the public. Time allocation should be regarded as a scheduling device," Alexander said, through his spokesperson, Codie Taylor.
Taylor criticized ongoing debate on the bill as "continued attempts by the Opposition to delay and obstruct important bills such as Bill C-24" and insisted that the NDP and Liberal Party "end their partisan attempts" to delay the passage of the bill, which was introduced in February and debated for a few hours since.
During the debate, Alexander insisted quick passage of the bill would end the suffering of "tens of thousands of permanent residents" who wish to become citizens. But Citizenship advocate Don Chapman says the government is making a mistake by limiting public debate on the important citizenship bill. Earlier this month, the government blocked the testimony of Chapman and historian Melynda Jarratt, who are concerned that the bill would continue to exclude legitimate Canadians, even rendering some stateless.
"The public has a number of concerns about this controversial bill, which makes it even more deplorable that the government is doing this yet again," Julian said.
"The government does not want to show openness in the House. It simply wants to impose its law, regardless of the consequences. We all know what kinds of consequences these controversial bills have. The bills are so badly botched that the government is forced to introduce new bills to fix the problems."
Citizenship Minister Christopher Alexander
Click here to read original article on the Vancouver Observer website.
On Wednesday, Van Loan moved that "not more than one further sitting day shall be allotted to the second reading stage of the bill", and that "15 minutes before the expiry of the time provided...any proceedings before the House shall be interrupted, if required for the purpose of this Order," and that every question would be put forward successively, without further debate or amendment.
When The Vancouver Observer asked why the debate time was being reduced on an important bill, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Christopher Alexander defended the motion, saying it should be seen as a benefit:
"It is not – as the Opposition suggests – used to limit debate, but to create certainty...it also helps the media, improving their ability to inform the public. Time allocation should be regarded as a scheduling device," Alexander said, through his spokesperson, Codie Taylor.
Taylor criticized ongoing debate on the bill as "continued attempts by the Opposition to delay and obstruct important bills such as Bill C-24" and insisted that the NDP and Liberal Party "end their partisan attempts" to delay the passage of the bill, which was introduced in February and debated for a few hours since.
During the debate, Alexander insisted quick passage of the bill would end the suffering of "tens of thousands of permanent residents" who wish to become citizens. But Citizenship advocate Don Chapman says the government is making a mistake by limiting public debate on the important citizenship bill. Earlier this month, the government blocked the testimony of Chapman and historian Melynda Jarratt, who are concerned that the bill would continue to exclude legitimate Canadians, even rendering some stateless.
"The public has a number of concerns about this controversial bill, which makes it even more deplorable that the government is doing this yet again," Julian said.
"The government does not want to show openness in the House. It simply wants to impose its law, regardless of the consequences. We all know what kinds of consequences these controversial bills have. The bills are so badly botched that the government is forced to introduce new bills to fix the problems."
