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

OTTAWA – On Tuesday, New Democrat MP multiculturalism critic Andrew Cash set his sights on Bill C-24, the federal government’s proposed changes to the Citizenship Act, squaring off against Immigration Minister Chris Alexander.

The bill is expected to face a constitutional challenge from a group led by Toronto lawyer Rocco Galati, the man behind the court challenge that thwarted the appointment of Marc Nadon to the Supreme Court of Canada. Galati also once represented Omar Khadr’s brother, Abdurahman.

Cash: Mr. Speaker, how much bad legislation can one government draft? It seems that for these Conservatives the sky is the limit.

Let us enumerate: a Supreme Court pick, rejected; the crime bill is overturned; the Senate reform proposal, ruled unconstitutional; and that was just the spring session.

Now the Conservatives are stubbornly forging ahead with another unconstitutional bill. Will the Conservatives listen to Canadians, start respecting Canadians’ rights, and withdraw this bill?

Alexander: Mr. Speaker, that question speaks to the pitiful quality of opposition criticism and commentary throughout this debate on Bill C-24.

We will stand behind a bill if the main opponent to it is the disgraced ideological former lawyer of the Khadr family.