MARTIN SORRY FOR GRABBING THE MACE IN PARLIAMENT

Keith Martin had no choice but to apologize for breaching parliamentary
decorum by recently picking up a ceremonial mace in the House of Commons.
"If I didn't apologize to the House Speaker for picking up the mace, I
would have been suspended indefinitely," says the Canadian Alliance MP for
Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca.

Martin grabbed the ceremonial mace in the House of Commons after his
Private Member's Bill, calling for the decriminalization of marijuana, was
killed by what's called a poison pill amendment. The amendment, according
to Martin, was introduced at the insistence of the Prime Minister's Office.

Martin grabbed the mace as a way of drawing attention to what he said was a
growing lack of democracy in Parliament as Private Member's Bills rarely
get taken seriously, let alone voted on. And Private Member's Bill's are
one of the only ways opposition MPs and Liberal back-benchers can address
issues in the House of Commons.

Martin says he made an apology out of respect for the House Speaker. At the
same time, he maintains he doesn't regret grabbing the mace as he did so
for a reason.

By making the apology, Martin says he will be able to "get back into the
arena and keep fighting".

Martin's action in the House of Commons might have been beneficial to his
cause of trying to increase the level of democracy in Parliament. He says
the federal government has agreed to hold round table discussions on
Private Member's Bills. Hopefully, says Martin, the round table talks will
lead to Private Member's Bills being taken more seriously. And, ultimately,
to more democracy in the House of Commons.