Evidence of meeting #114 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was point.
A video is available from Parliament.
10:10 a.m.
Liberal
Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Where are the permanent Conservative members of this committee, and why are they not here to do their work?
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
I will address your point of order.
I have Mr. Singh on a point of order, and then I will address Mr. Kusmierczyk's.
Be brief, please.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB
Thank you, Chair.
I appreciate that you made a ruling on this yesterday, I believe. Mr. Kusmierczyk is once again trying to silence another premier and not let them testify about the harmful impacts of a 23% increase on the carbon tax that's going to make families worse off.
10:10 a.m.
Liberal
Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
You're the finance critic. You weren't even here yesterday.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
I'm sorry, Mr. Kusmierczyk. To respect the interpreters, and for Mr. Savard-Tremblay, let's have just one person speaking at a time, please.
It is clear—I'll read it—that “Committee meetings are convened by the Chair”, and it can be after “a decision made by the committee or on the Chair’s own authority”. That's right from page 1095 of the green book.
With respect to the motion yesterday, as I stated yesterday, my ruling was that I believed—
10:10 a.m.
Liberal
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
10:10 a.m.
Liberal
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Mr. Kusmierczyk, you've been around for a long time. You know very well the rules.
10:10 a.m.
Liberal
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
You do not address questions to the clerk. You know that very well. It appears that you're just being disruptive at this time.
I appreciate what you're saying, but the rules clearly allow the chair to call meetings on his own authority, which I did.
With respect to the motion yesterday, as I ruled yesterday, my belief is that it is for meetings going forward. I don't believe you can simply reach back in time and change what has already been booked. That is my ruling.
If you'd like to hear the clerk's response about the chair's ability to call a meeting, I'm happy to refer it to him. He can repeat from page 1095 himself.
10:10 a.m.
An hon. member
I have a point of order, Chair.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
We're actually in a discussion. I'll get to you in a moment.
Go ahead, sir.
10:10 a.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Thomas Bigelow
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As you stated, page 1095 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice , under the section on convening a meeting by the chair, states the following: “Committee meetings are convened by the Chair acting either on a decision made by the committee or on the Chair's own authority.”
Therefore, my advice to the chair would be that there are two mechanisms to plan a meeting: Either the committee can agree to a schedule and a specific time and plan for a meeting, or the chair has the discretion to plan meetings on his authority.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
I realize that someone else called a point of order, but I saw Mr. Sousa's hand up.
Is it on a point of order, Mr. Sousa, or—
10:10 a.m.
Liberal
Charles Sousa Liberal Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON
It's on this point of order. Yes, it's on a point of order.