Statement made on 15 November 2011 by Senator James Cowan
Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition):
Honourable senators, I want to return to an issue I first raised with the leader in October of 2010. It is an issue that I raised in Question Period again on September 27, October 6 and October 25 of this year. The issue had to do with two reports that were paid for, obviously, by the public and that were received by the government in 2009. I asked that those reports be tabled.
The leader undertook on each occasion to consult with her colleague the Minister of Justice. She indicated in September that she would report on it after the Thanksgiving break. When I raised the issue again on October 25, the leader again said she would consult with the minister.
We have heard nothing. I pointed out the last time I spoke about this that we see another crime bill coming through the House of Commons. It will arrive here. We anticipate that there will be pressure exerted on senators by the government to pass this bill quickly.
I said at that time, and reiterate today, that we will do the job that we are sent here to do, which is to examine legislation carefully, including the cost implications of legislation that comes before us. If the government expects us to deal with this matter expeditiously, as it would be our intention to do, why has the leader not complied with the repeated request to table in this house the reports that her government has been sitting on since 2009?
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