In the House of Commons today, Conservative MP Michael Chong, stood up to deliver the following statement:
Hon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I want to speak today about parliamentary reform.
A growing number of Canadians are disengaging from the political process. When citizens disengage the very legitimacy of this institution is at risk.
Canadians across the country may not be able to put their finger on exactly what ails our institutions, but they know that something is wrong. That is why I want to commend the minister for democratic reform for introducing a number of bills, including Bill C-12 which demonstrates the government's commitment to institutional renewal.
The heart of our democracy is Parliament, and the heart of Parliament is question period. Through the national media, millions of Canadians follow question period each and every day. I am optimistic that parliamentary reform can reconnect Canadians who feel disengaged by political behaviour that would not be tolerated around the kitchen table.
That is why we will be introducing motion M-517, a proposal that asks the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to examine specific changes to reform question period. I ask members of this House to consider this motion and to lend it their support.
And here is the text of his motion M-517:
That the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be instructed to recommend changes to the Standing Orders and other conventions governing Oral Questions, and to consider, among other things, (i) elevating decorum and fortifying the use of discipline by the Speaker, to strengthen the dignity and authority of the House, (ii) lengthening the amount of time given for each question and each answer, (iii) examining the convention that the Minister questioned need not respond, (iv) allocating half the questions each day for Members, whose names and order of recognition would be randomly selected, (v) dedicating Wednesday exclusively for questions to the Prime Minister, (vi) dedicating Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for questions to Ministers other than the Prime Minister in a way that would require Ministers be present two of the four days to answer questions concerning their portfolio, based on a published schedule that would rotate and that would ensure an equitable distribution of Ministers across the four days; and that the Committee report its findings to the House, with proposed changes to the Standing Orders and other conventions, within six months of the adoption of this order.