Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2010-04-20 17:20:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. John Weston (West Vancouver\u2014Sunshine Coast\u2014Sea to Sky Country, CPC)",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"1883184\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I really find this debate to be what many of us came to the House for. It is striking that the members of at least three of the parties in this House today are unified in their support for a free and democratic country that is unified and strong.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883185\" data-originallang=\"en\">However, I would say that the underlying bill, Bill <a data-HoCid=\"4394503\" href=\"/bills/40-3/C-12/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)\">C-12</a>, the democratic representation act, which was introduced by the <a data-HoCid=\"128718\" href=\"/politicians/steven-fletcher/\" title=\"Steven Fletcher\">Minister of State for Democratic Reform</a> on April 1, would restore fair representation in the House of Commons, whereas the motion before the House today would result in unfairness and further compromise the core democratic principle of representation by population.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883186\" data-originallang=\"en\">The current constitutional formula for readjusting House seats every 10 years was introduced in 1985. Its effect basically penalizes the faster growing provinces by preventing them from gaining seats in proportion to their population.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883187\" data-originallang=\"en\">As a result, Ontario, Alberta and my home province of British Columbia have become significantly under-represented in our House. In contrast, all other provinces rely on seat guarantees for their seat counts even though their populations do not necessarily justify that number of seats. This means that the faster growing provinces have more populace ridings than slower growing provinces.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883188\" data-originallang=\"en\">Based on 2006 census, ridings in Ontario, Alberta and B.C. had, on average, over 26,000 more constituents than ridings in the slower growing provinces. In the next readjustment of seats, based on projections for the 2011 consensus, this number is projected to increase to almost 30,000.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883189\" data-originallang=\"en\">The current formula is moving the House further away from the principle of representation by population and the democratic concept of one person, one vote. This is unfair for Canadians in faster growing provinces who may feel that their vote is diluted because their provinces are significantly under-represented in this House.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883190\" data-originallang=\"en\">This is totally consistent with the people's love for Quebec. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883191\" data-originallang=\"fr\">I like to tell people that I have spent a lot of time in Quebec. I worked for the Quebec government and my three children went to a French immersion school.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883192\" data-originallang=\"en\">I believe that what makes us unique is the special role of Quebec in our Federation, and that would continue to be protected given the constitutional provisions that we have in play. Bill <a data-HoCid=\"4394503\" href=\"/bills/40-3/C-12/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)\">C-12</a> anticipates that Quebec will continue to have its minimum number of seats. We will continue to have a minimum number of seats in the Supreme Court of Canada that come from Quebec. In the Senate and elsewhere through our Federation, Quebec interests will have unique and special representation.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883193\" data-originallang=\"en\">However, Bill <a data-HoCid=\"4394503\" href=\"/bills/40-3/C-12/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)\">C-12</a>, the democratic representation act, would restore fair representation in the House of Commons. It would correct the unfairness in the current formula by establishing a maximum average riding populating per province of 108,000 for the next readjustment of seats. This was approximately the national average riding population at the time of the last general election.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"1883184\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, je crois r\u00e9ellement que ce d\u00e9bat est ce pour quoi bon nombre d'entre nous sont venus \u00e0 la Chambre. Il est frappant de voir les d\u00e9put\u00e9s d'au moins trois des partis \u00e0 la Chambre s'unir aujourd'hui pour appuyer un pays libre et d\u00e9mocratique qui est uni et fort.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883185\" data-originallang=\"en\">Cependant, \u00e0 mon avis, le projet de loi \u00e0 la base du d\u00e9bat, le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"4394503\" href=\"/bills/40-3/C-12/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)\">C-12</a>, la Loi sur la repr\u00e9sentation d\u00e9mocratique, qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 le 1<sup>er</sup> avril dernier par le <a data-HoCid=\"128718\" href=\"/politicians/steven-fletcher/\" title=\"Steven Fletcher\">ministre d\u2019\u00c9tat \u00e0 la R\u00e9forme d\u00e9mocratique</a> \u00e9tablirait de nouveau une repr\u00e9sentation \u00e9quitable \u00e0 la Chambre des communes, alors que la motion dont la Chambre est saisie aujourd'hui entra\u00eenerait une repr\u00e9sentation in\u00e9quitable et compromettrait encore davantage le principe d\u00e9mocratique fondamental de la repr\u00e9sentation selon la population. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883186\" data-originallang=\"en\">La formule constitutionnelle appliqu\u00e9e actuellement pour rajuster le nombre de si\u00e8ges \u00e0 la Chambre tous les dix ans a \u00e9t\u00e9 instaur\u00e9e en 1985. Elle a essentiellement pour effet de p\u00e9naliser les provinces dont la population augmente plus rapidement en emp\u00eachant que leur nombre de si\u00e8ges augmente proportionnellement \u00e0 leur population.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883187\" data-originallang=\"en\">En cons\u00e9quence, l'Ontario, l'Alberta et la Colombie-Britannique, d'o\u00f9 je suis originaire, sont aujourd'hui nettement sous-repr\u00e9sent\u00e9s \u00e0 la Chambre. Par opposition, toutes les autres provinces comptent sur un nombre garanti de si\u00e8ges, et ce, m\u00eame si leur population ne le justifie pas n\u00e9cessairement. C'est donc dire que les provinces dont la population augmente plus rapidement ont des circonscriptions plus populeuses que les provinces dont la population augmente moins rapidement.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883188\" data-originallang=\"en\">Lors du recensement de 2006, les circonscriptions situ\u00e9es en Ontario, en Alberta et en Colombie-Britannique comptaient, en moyenne, au-del\u00e0 de 26 000 \u00e9lecteurs de plus que celles des provinces \u00e0 croissance moins rapide. Dans le prochain rajustement du nombre de si\u00e8ges, qui se base sur les pr\u00e9visions des r\u00e9sultats du recensement de 2011, on pr\u00e9voit que ce chiffre atteindra pr\u00e8s de 30 000. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883189\" data-originallang=\"en\">La formule actuelle \u00e9loigne encore davantage la Chambre du principe de repr\u00e9sentation selon la population et du principe d\u00e9mocratique d'une personne, un vote. C'est injuste pour les Canadiens des provinces \u00e0 croissance rapide qui pourraient estimer que leur vote est dilu\u00e9 parce que leurs provinces sont grandement sous-repr\u00e9sent\u00e9es \u00e0 la Chambre.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883190\" data-originallang=\"en\">Cela montre l'amour de la population pour le Qu\u00e9bec.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883191\" data-originallang=\"fr\">J'aime bien dire que j'ai pass\u00e9 beaucoup de temps au Qu\u00e9bec. J'ai travaill\u00e9 pour le gouvernement du Qu\u00e9bec et mes trois enfants ont \u00e9tudi\u00e9 dans une \u00e9cole d'immersion fran\u00e7aise.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883192\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je crois que ce qui nous rend uniques est le r\u00f4le sp\u00e9cial du Qu\u00e9bec dans notre f\u00e9d\u00e9ration, et ce r\u00f4le continuerait d'\u00eatre prot\u00e9g\u00e9 en raison des dispositions constitutionnelles qui sont en place. Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"4394503\" href=\"/bills/40-3/C-12/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)\">C-12</a> pr\u00e9voit que le Qu\u00e9bec continuera d'avoir un nombre minimal de si\u00e8ges. Il continuera \u00e0 avoir un nombre minimal de si\u00e8ges \u00e0 la Cour supr\u00eame du Canada. Au S\u00e9nat et ailleurs dans notre f\u00e9d\u00e9ration, les int\u00e9r\u00eats du Qu\u00e9bec continueront d'\u00eatre repr\u00e9sent\u00e9s de mani\u00e8re unique et sp\u00e9ciale. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1883193\" data-originallang=\"en\">Toutefois, le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"4394503\" href=\"/bills/40-3/C-12/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)\">C-12</a>, la Loi sur la repr\u00e9sentation d\u00e9mocratique, r\u00e9tablirait une juste repr\u00e9sentation \u00e0 la Chambre des communes. Il corrigerait les injustices de la formule actuelle en \u00e9tablissant, d\u00e8s la prochaine r\u00e9vision, la population moyenne maximale des circonscriptions de chaque province \u00e0 108 000. Cela repr\u00e9sente environ la taille moyenne des circonscriptions \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9chelle nationale lors des derni\u00e8res \u00e9lections f\u00e9d\u00e9rales. </p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2010/4/20/john-weston-3/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/john-weston/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/1226/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "3107154",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Business of Supply",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h3": {
        "en": "Opposition motion\u2014Representation of Quebec in the House of Commons",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2010/4/20/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2010%2F4%2F20%2F"
    }
}