A noteworthy exchange from question period Tuesday in the House of Commons

OTTAWA – The Canadian Press is always on the lookout for noteworthy or zesty exchanges on the floor of the House of Commons. On Tuesday, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair urged Prime Minister Stephen Harper to split the government’s cyberbullying bill, which some critics say contains controversial measures that threaten the privacy of Canadians. Their exchange:

Mulcair: Mr. Speaker, a growing list of groups, including the Canadian Bar Association, have called on Conservatives to split the bill. Even the mother of Amanda Todd, who took her own life in a tragic case of cyberbullying, has called for this bill to be split, saying, “We should not have to sacrifice our children’s privacy rights to make them safe.”

Will the prime minister finally listen, agree to split this bill and give our children the protection they deserve on all fronts?

Harper: Mr. Speaker, the NDP knows full well that we cannot protect people by mere declarations. We must also give the authorities the ability to actually investigate and prosecute offences under the law.

That is what this bill does, and I note that it has the overwhelming support of not only victims and police, but of the Canadian population.