Evidence of meeting #29 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was report.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

John Wiersema  Deputy Auditor General, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Richard Flageole  Assistant Auditor General, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Michel Marcotte

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

May I clarify that? As I read it, this is identical to point one of the original motion.

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

Martha Hall Findlay Liberal Willowdale, ON

No, it's not.

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

Oh. I'm sorry.

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

Martha Hall Findlay Liberal Willowdale, ON

This is materially different from the first one. Two of three parts of it have been completely removed and the first part has been changed materially by amending the date required.

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

Okay.

Mr. Anders on a point of order--or is it on debate?

1:10 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Anders Conservative Calgary West, AB

I think it's a point of order, Mr. Chairman. The mover has indicated that this is materially different. I do not have a written copy of the new motion. I do not have it en français. For all of these reasons, it should be dealt with on Thursday, Mr. Chair.

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

Monsieur Roy.

1:10 p.m.

Bloc

Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

I so move. I have it in French and we have it in English because it is the first paragraph of the motion that was put before us previously. I call the question.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Anders Conservative Calgary West, AB

A point of order, Mr. Chair.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

We're on debate on this motion. You can participate in debate.

If you have a point of order, go ahead.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Anders Conservative Calgary West, AB

Mr. Chairman, you're going to beg me to challenge the chair in a minute here, because we have a motion supposedly on the floor. We have something that's being proposed as a secondary motion. Is that an amendment to the main motion? Is it a friendly amendment? What's going on?

This is a procedural mess, Mr. Chairman. We need a ruling here. What is that?

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

Monsieur Roy has moved that we proceed to the vote on the motion.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Anders Conservative Calgary West, AB

I heard a contrary motion. That's what I heard.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

Could you refresh the chair's recollection of it?

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Anders Conservative Calgary West, AB

I believe there was a change to the original motion by Ms. Hall Findlay, so the question is whether it's a new motion, a friendly amendment, or an amendment to the main motion. What is going on, Mr. Chairman? What's your ruling on that?

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

Monsieur Roy did not urge a change to Ms. Hall Findlay's motion.

1:15 p.m.

A voice

He just read it.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

He was simply indicating, describing it accurately, and then he moved that we proceed to the vote on it. He has moved that we dispense with further debate. So here we are taking a vote on whether or not we should continue debate. All in favour--

1:15 p.m.

Voices

Oh, oh!

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

Actually, the clerk reminds the chair that in committees, as opposed to Parliament, we can't receive a motion to terminate debate, so the debate can continue if members wish. We're on debate on Ms. Hall Findlay's motion.

I do not see any....

Mr. Calandra.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Paul Calandra Conservative Oak Ridges—Markham, ON

I just want clarification, then, Mr. Chair. Am I wrong about the 48 hours' notice? Are we just tabling a motion, and we will then wait 48 hours and next Thursday at 1:15 p.m. the 48 hours will come upon us, or are we dispensing with all those rules altogether and just making up some new rules right now as we go along?

Am I to also take it that from now on when we actually want to proceed to new business, no matter at what time, when it is, as long as the precedent has been set, basically, you will always vote in favour of moving to new business because the chair has voted that way this time? Could you just explain those two things to me, because I'm a bit foggy as to why we establish rules when we set the committee and then we just make entirely new rules on the fly.

I know I submitted a motion myself once that couldn't be debated because the 48 hours hadn't actually occurred, but it seems now we're setting some new rules. Could you clarify that for me before I vote?

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

Had you at that time, Mr. Calandra, moved a motion that the committee go to new business, and if the committee adopted the motion, then the absence of 48 hours' notice wouldn't have mattered. In this case there has been a motion that we move to new business.

1:15 p.m.

Bloc

Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

A point of order, Mr. Chair.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

Let me just finish with that one.

Are you okay with that? I'm not making up rules as we go along. I'm trying very hard to follow the rules.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Paul Calandra Conservative Oak Ridges—Markham, ON

The 48-hour rule doesn't necessarily--