Stephane Dion, who has some experience with the written argument, sends a letter to Tim Uppal, the minister of state for democratic reform, about the government’s senate reform legislation.
Stephane Dion, who has some experience with the written argument, sends a letter to Tim Uppal, the minister of state for democratic reform, about the government’s senate reform legislation.
However, two days ago, you made a statement that was completely inaccurate. You claimed that the opposition had been endeavouring to block Bill C-7: “I have asked that they stop stalling it and let it come to a vote”, you told The Guardian in Charlottetown on July 30, 2012. In fact, it is the government that has chosen to move other priorities ahead of the debate at the second reading of Bill C-7. Had you decided otherwise, this proposed legislation would already be debated in committee.
To be more precise, the government tabled the proposed legislation in the House on June 21, 2011, and brought it to second reading for debate on September 30, October 3, November 14 and December 7 and 8, 2011, as well as on February 27, 2012. On those occasions the opposition participated in the debate on C-7 without obstructing it in any way. You cannot prove otherwise.
My concern is that you have fabricated this false version of the facts so that you can justify in advance shutting down debate in order to impede the committee’s deliberations. You know full well that the vast majority of experts would come to express the same objections as the Liberal opposition.
Of course, in addition to this matter of alleged obstruction, Mr. Dion also has some substantive issues with the legislation in question.