Liberals Expose Authoritarian Nature, Subvert Due Process

(QUEENS PARK) Randy Hillier (Lanark-Frontenac-Lenox & Addington), Attorney General Critic for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, is berating the Liberal Government’s time allocation motion of its cannabis legislation, Bill 174, as a blatant abuse of the legislative process, and a deceitful attempt to prohibit proper debate on this transformative piece of legislation.

“The level of blatant abuse and contempt for this legislature and the legislative process by this Liberal Government is unprecedented,” exclaimed Hillier. “Cutting short debate on an omnibus bill like this, which already includes lengthy schedules unrelated to cannabis policy, violates the principles our democratic system is built on. We have seen this government time and time again use legislative procedures meant for emergency or exceptional situations as an authoritarian tool to subvert or undermine democracy.” MPP Hillier tabled a procedural motion on Tuesday, November 14th that, if carried, would break up Bill 174 into multiple new bills based on legislative topic, ensuring that each unrelated section of the bill can be debated and voted on independently. “Each of the schedules within Bill 174 deserves to be debated and examined properly, however that can’t be done to the standard expected from our Legislature when omnibus style bills of this type are recklessly introduced,” said Hillier. “With this time allocation motion, if it wasn’t abundantly clear before that this government had no intention of having an honest and proper debate on this legislation, it certainly is now”