Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2010-06-15 10:00:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Hon. Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Lib.)",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"2042753\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I can confirm, as the government House leader has indicated, that an agreement has been arrived at involving the government, the official opposition and the Bloc Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2042754\" data-originallang=\"en\">This has been a very serious and difficult subject for Parliament over the course of the last many months, in fact a period of some two or three years. We are hopeful that the agreement that has been arrived at will bring the matter to a successful conclusion.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2042755\" data-originallang=\"en\">However, I need to tell the government that, from the point of view of the official opposition, we will continue to be alert and vigilant in the process. The process depends very much upon the honest behaviour of all parties going forward. We will expect to see that kind of behaviour and will call the government to account based upon the information that will now become available to members of Parliament.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2042756\" data-originallang=\"en\">We think the agreement maintains the principle of parliamentary sovereignty, which you described so eloquently, Mr. Speaker, in your ruling in April. It recognizes the right of members of Parliament to know, to have the information and to use that information to hold the government to account. The agreement eliminates any unilateral or arbitrary government control over information and, at the same time, it protects national security. We intend to operate under the terms of this agreement in good faith in pursuit of the public interest, and we expect all other parties to do the same. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2042757\" data-originallang=\"en\">I would add one caveat. Now that we have proceeded this far and can take some satisfaction in achieving this agreement, it will be important to get the process going forthwith. Parliament and Canadians have waited a long time for this step to be taken and the time for waiting has passed. We now must see the agreement brought to life immediately following the party leaders signing the documents in the next number of hours.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"2042753\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, je confirme, comme l'a annonc\u00e9 le leader du gouvernement \u00e0 la Chambre, qu'une entente est intervenue entre le gouvernement, l'opposition officielle et le Bloc qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2042754\" data-originallang=\"en\">C'\u00e9tait un sujet tr\u00e8s s\u00e9rieux et \u00e9pineux pour le Parlement depuis des mois et des mois, en fait, depuis deux ou trois ans. Nous esp\u00e9rons que l'entente conclue mettra un point final \u00e0 cette affaire, \u00e0 la satisfaction de tous.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2042755\" data-originallang=\"en\">Toutefois, je pr\u00e9viens le gouvernement que l'opposition officielle restera vigilante tout au long du processus. Le processus d\u00e9pend beaucoup du comportement honn\u00eate de tous les partis \u00e0 partir de maintenant. Nous nous attendrons \u00e0 ce genre de comportement et demanderons des comptes au gouvernement \u00e0 la lumi\u00e8re de l'information qui sera mise \u00e0 la disposition des d\u00e9put\u00e9s.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2042756\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous estimons que l'entente maintient le principe de la souverainet\u00e9 du Parlement, que vous avez d\u00e9crit avec tant d'\u00e9loquence, monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, dans votre d\u00e9cision d'avril. Elle reconna\u00eet le droit des d\u00e9put\u00e9s de savoir, de d\u00e9tenir l'information et de l'utiliser pour responsabiliser le gouvernement. L'entente \u00e9limine tout contr\u00f4le unilat\u00e9ral ou arbitraire de l'information par le gouvernement tout en prot\u00e9geant la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale. Nous avons l'intention d'agir conform\u00e9ment aux modalit\u00e9s de cette entente, en toute bonne foi, dans l'int\u00e9r\u00eat de la population, et nous nous attendons \u00e0 ce qu'il en soit ainsi de tous les autres partis.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"2042757\" data-originallang=\"en\">J'ajoute une mise en garde. Maintenant que nous sommes all\u00e9s aussi loin et pouvons \u00eatre satisfaits d'avoir conclu cette entente, il sera important de veiller \u00e0 ce que le processus soit entam\u00e9 sur-le-champ. Le Parlement et les Canadiens attendent depuis longtemps qu'on passe \u00e0 cette \u00e9tape et il n'est plus question d'attendre. Il faut maintenant que l'entente entre en vigueur imm\u00e9diatement, une fois que les chefs des partis auront sign\u00e9 les documents d'ici quelques heures.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2010/6/15/ralph-goodale-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/ralph-goodale/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/2745/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "3231355",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Routine Proceedings",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Documents Regarding Mission in Afghanistan",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2010/6/15/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2010%2F6%2F15%2F"
    }
}