Bill C-11 Committee on Feb. 14th, 2012

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

That is a very well-researched response, Mr. Regan. I congratulate you for that.

I have Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

We've agreed that we're going to dedicate 12 hours per week to the study of this bill and we have 12 members of the committee, each of whom is going to show up at every meeting. What we've proposed is that each member who shows up and dedicates that 12 hours a week gets one opportunity to question each witness.

Maybe Mr. Regan, in his desire to have double what everybody else has, would point out which member of the committee would get no time.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

I don't know if that's a question for Mr. Regan to answer at the moment, but thank you for that.

Next I have Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I wanted to point out that in addition to Mr. Lake's statement that equity can be defined in many different ways, I would say that it's entirely equitable to make sure that every member of this committee has the opportunity to ask questions of every panel. I think that is absolute equity.

I'm a member of Parliament. I've been elected by a constituency. I was not elected as a party. I'd like the opportunity to ask questions. I think that's true for every member of this committee. I think that as members of Parliament, we've all earned the opportunity to ask those questions.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Thank you, Mr. Del Mastro.

I have Mr. Armstrong and then Mr. Angus.

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

I'm going to also thank Mr. Regan for his history lesson on how other committees have run.

As a member elected from my constituency, if at all meetings I'm sitting at the end where I'm sitting now, and we go down the row, I'll probably be the one who gets left out more than the others.

I think that my input is just as strong as any committee member's and I'd like to be considered as having equitable time to question all witnesses who come here.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Thank you.

Go ahead, Mr. Angus.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I'm amazed that all the people sitting around this table were elected strictly on their own merits and not on the fact that they wore a party banner. I find that a very striking statement.

I also find it odd that on committees, many people on the government side never ask a question because the lead guy on the file decides that he wants to follow up.

I think we should call this what it is. I think that when we have double the Conservatives, in the last round it's fair to go back to the third party. It has been the tradition in every Parliament that in the second round of questions, every party at least has one shot at it, because there is follow-up, and I would suggest that in that final two rounds, in which the Conservatives want to have back-to-back Conservatives, I think it's reasonable to have Liberal Party representation.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Mr. Angus, have you moved an amendment?

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

It's my amendment, yes. In the motion, we would replace the last mention of the word “Conservative” with the word “Liberal”.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Mr. Angus has moved an amendment. I don't think I need to read the first round, but I will read the second round. It would be Conservative, New Democrat, Conservative, New Democrat, Conservative, New Democrat, Conservative, and then Liberal.

Is that correct, Mr. Angus?

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Yes.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Okay. I will then put that amendment to a vote.

(Amendment negatived)

We go back to the original discussion. Is there any other discussion on the motion?

Do we need to hear the motion one more time as to the process? All right.

In the first round, witnesses would have 10 minutes. The first round of questions would be five minutes, and the second round would be five minutes. The order in the first round would be Conservative, New Democrat, Conservative, Liberal. In the second round, it would be Conservative, New Democrat, Conservative, New Democrat, Conservative, New Democrat, Conservative, Conservative.

If there is any further time after that, you're leaving it to the discretion of the chair.

(Motion agreed to)

I've just learned a first rule: as chair, never look at Mr. Simms when calling a vote.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Go ahead, Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Chairman, relative to the motion just passed, I would like to see the committee endorse your authority to be absolutely strict on those timelines, because I think it's imperative that we stick to them, whether it's members asking questions or whether it's witnesses providing testimony. If you're strict, I think you'll find that everyone comes in with presentations that adhere to the wishes of the committee, which is 10 minutes. If we start swaying from that, you'll find that your patience will be tested.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

I appreciate that, Mr. Del Mastro, being a chair for the first time. I'm planning on sticking to what the wishes of the committee are, so we'll move forward from there.

Go ahead, Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

I move that the evidence and documentation received by the legislative committee on Bill C-32, An Act to amend the Copyright Act, during the third session of the 40th Parliament be taken into consideration by this committee.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

I'm just going to clarify something with the clerk.

Is there any discussion on the motion moved by Mr. Lake?

(Motion agreed to)

Great.

Go ahead, Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

For clarity, I move that witnesses who appeared before or made submissions to the legislative committee on Bill C-32 during the third session of the 40th Parliament may provide, in written form to the committee, addenda to their original submissions.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

We've all heard the motion.

Is there any discussion?

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chairman, what was the motion? I'm sorry; I didn't hear the motion.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

I'll just ask Mr. Lake to repeat it.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

I move that for clarity, witnesses who appeared before or made submissions to the legislative committee on Bill C-32 during the third session of the 40th Parliament may provide, in written form to the committee, addenda to their original submissions.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Chair, I move that the motion be amended by adding after the word “submissions” the following: “and that all briefs and amendments submitted during the committee study of Bill C-32 be taken into consideration.