Speeches RSS (opens in a new window)
Bill C-29, The Port of Montreal Strike: Why did the government wait for the crisis they knew could come in order to intervene?
April 30, 2021 (Ottawa, ON) - The Honourable Don Plett, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, issued the following statement:
Honourable senators, I want to add my voice to this debate, and I will be brief.
I would say that my overarching emotion in dealing with this legislation today is one of discouragement. I am discouraged because, in the middle of this global pandemic which has caused such hardship for so many Canadians, we are compelled to address a problem which could — and shou…
Read More
Bill C-7 will be offering patients with mental illness the most readily available lethal means, instead of increased suicide prevention
March 17, 2021 (Ottawa, ON) - The Honourable Don Plett, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, issued the following statement:
Honourable senators, I also rise today with tremendous sadness to speak to the government’s message on Bill C-7.
Before I go into my comments, I also would like to thank, first and foremost, the Legal Committee. They did a tremendous job of bringing in 130-some witnesses, and I thank the committee for that. I thank the chair of the committee, Senator Jaffer. I w…
Read More
Bill C-24 is long overdue, and it highlights the Liberal Government’s incompetence.
March 16, 2021 (Ottawa, ON) - The Honourable Don Plett, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, issued the following statement:
Honourable senators, I rise today to speak briefly to Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (additional regular benefits), the Canada Recovery Benefits Act (restriction on eligibility) and another Act in response to COVID-19.
I would like to thank Senator LaBoucane-Benson and my colleague Senator Poirier for their work, both as the sponsor and…
Read More
Bill C-7 fails to achieve the Senate’s purpose: to protect the rights of those whose minority positions are threatened by majority rule
February 17, 2021 (Ottawa, ON) - The Honourable Don Plett, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, issued the following statement:
Honourable senators, I find myself standing in this place today with a real sense of déjà vu. Almost five years ago, on June 15, 2016, this chamber had just finished considering amendments to Bill C-14 and was about to vote on third reading. Including the pre-study, we had completed a month-long consideration of the government’s assisted suicide bill and had s…
Read More
Sen. Plett: Bill C-7 is a “colossal failure” on the Government’s part for not having consulted with Indigenous peoples
February 11, 2021 (Ottawa, ON) - The Honourable Don Plett, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, issued the following statement:
Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to an issue which deserves much more time and attention than my allotment permits. Although I am certain that other senators will be speaking to this issue as well, it warrants as much amplification as this chamber can give it.
I’m referring to the government’s colossal failure to consult with Indigenous peoples. Dur…
Read More
Senator Plett speaks on the danger of rushing Bill C-7, a matter of life and death, through the Senate
February 10, 2021 (Ottawa, ON) - The Honourable Don Plett, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, issued the following statement:
I do have an amendment at the end of my speech.
Honourable senators, I rise today to bring forward an amendment that I hope will alleviate some of the concerns raised by the disability community, specifically about the coercion of vulnerable patients to accept physician induced death.
Given the well-established power imbalance in the doctor-patient relationship an…
Read More