Finance Committee on May 29th, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Shall clause 342 carry?

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I'm sure this has already been raised, but I notice that Mr. Beech has his thumb up in the air. It's like it's pasted to the screen.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

No. He's moving. It's good.

Shall clause—

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

I just want to know if there was a formal ruling on whether a voice vote permits an extended thumb to be an equivalent?

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

You can have your thumb up. If your thumb is up, it is a yea.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Really?

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Yes.

Shall clause 342 carry?

(Clause 342 agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We have a really hard-working team here, and we usually go well past two hours, but I know Mr. Lawrence has asked me a number of times for a bio break, so we are going to take a five-minute bio break.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We are back.

Members, we are at clause 343.

Shall clause 343 carry?

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

I would like a recorded vote.

(Clauses 343 to 347 inclusive agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Shall clause 348 carry?

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair. The clerk is doing an excellent job, but could he speak up just a wee bit? I had the same problem as Ms. Dzerowicz. It would be greatly appreciated.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Maybe he can put the mike just a little closer.

(Clauses 348 to 350 inclusive agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

I have a point of order before we go to the next clause. I was just wondering if, at some point later in the day, you might have the clerk calculate what the cost per hour of the meeting is: the extra meals, the House staff and the officials who were on the line for 10 hours. I'd just like to get a sense of the overall costs of the legislative process.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

There are costs. We know that. It's not a point of order.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

On that point of order, I did the math, and we are approaching $200,000—

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Okay, MP Chatel—

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

—and it's close to $3,000 per hour.

[An hon. member]

Wow.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thanks, MP Chatel and MP Blaikie.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

On that point of order, Mr. Chair—

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Members, it was not a point of order.

[An hon. member]

It was a point of order.

[An hon. member]

[Inaudible—Editor] allowed to speak.