Finance Committee on Dec. 8th, 2009

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

I'd like to get on the record that my parliamentary privilege has been affected by the inability of this committee to function. I won't go into the reasons now; they will be discussed tomorrow. If we had had the extra half hour, the modification proposed by the first nations could have been presented. This seriously affects my rights as a parliamentarian, and I will be raising it in the House tomorrow.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you, Mr. Mulcair.

Shall clauses 2 to 44 carry?

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Don't you have to call them one by one? You just said you have to respect the order. If you have to respect the order, call them one by one.

I would ask for a recorded vote, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

No.

Shall clauses 2 to 44 carry?

(Clauses 2 to 44 inclusive agreed to: yeas 10; nays 1)

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Shall the schedule carry?

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chairman.

At the beginning of the evening, you explained to committee members that once the amendments had passed, we could table an amendment regarding the addition of a new schedule.

At the beginning of the evening, you told us that only when the clauses were adopted could we look at the amendment adding the request of the first nations with regard to a new schedule 11.

I'm willing to make the following offer and I would like you to entertain it. If, on the one hand, we're able to vote without debate on the amendment as proposed by the first nations, I will consider this a sufficient answer to my point of privilege for tomorrow. If, on the other hand, you insist that we don't have the ability even to vote on that three-line schedule, then I'll have no choice but to raise the point of privilege tomorrow.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Mr. Mulcair, I appreciate the point of order, but the reality is, as I am advised and as I read this order of the House myself, I have no discretion as the chair.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

With respect, I'm going to try to help you out here. I would like to make a friendly point to help you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

If you wish to raise this as a question of privilege, you have every right to do so.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Of course I do. But I think we should avoid troubling the House with a point of privilege. My needs can be satisfied if you would only respect your own decision at the beginning of the meeting. You said at the beginning of the evening that once we had adopted the articles we could look at the amendment with regard to the schedules. You looked at me as you said this, because you knew that we wanted to make this amendment for the first nations. We still want to make it. We can avoid a lot of hassle tomorrow and avoid a point of privilege if you simply allow this amendment to be read—it's three lines long—and the vote to take place. If you do that, we've taken care of the problem.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

I'll hear Mr. Paillé on the same point of order.

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

I will not quote my colleague to the left when he referred to slavish translations of documents in French written in his own working language, but I personally find it unacceptable that someone could even consider the idea of tabling an amendment written in English only. That shows contempt for my rights and I will never accept a slavish translation in French from his working language.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Out of a desire to assist my friend and colleague, Mr. Paillé, I would like to inform him that a document cannot be tabled in one language only. People will receive it in both languages.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

I've ruled on the point of order. It is an order of the House. The chair of the committee does not have discretion on this matter. That is my statement. It is an order of the House. I am following the order of the House. Committees, as outlined in the new book, are creatures of the House of Commons. So we shall proceed.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

I would like a recorded vote, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Shall the schedule carry?

(Schedule agreed to: yeas 10; nays 1)

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Shall the short title carry?

(Clause 1 agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Shall the title carry?

(Title agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Shall the bill carry?

(Bill C-62 agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Shall the chair report the bill to the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[An hon. member]

No.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

[See Minutes of Proceedings])

Thank you, colleagues. Merci beaucoup.

The meeting is adjourned.