Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Nov. 25th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Okay. We'll let the clerk work on that right now.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Reid's point is well taken. The study may determine that yes, we agree that we want to recommend changes. It may agree that we have changes different from what is contained in this motion, or it may determine that we make no recommendations whatsoever. That's what I'm trying to get at.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Do you feel better with that?

One more time, Mr. Lukiwski. We'll see if we can get you to agree to it again, and then we'll carry on discussing it as if it was that way all along.

It's like magic around here.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

It is like magic. I was about to say that very thing. How do you do that?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I get by only on looks.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Do you have a wizard's cane and a little pointy hat?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Never mind. There's no comment needed there. I thought of a good one, but I think I'll leave it alone.

This is Mr. Lukiwski's motion:

That the motion be amended by adding after the words “Standing Order” the following words: “That the Committee carry out a study of the preceding motion and determine if it wishes to make recommendations to amend Standing Order 81(10)(a)” and by deleting the words “and that the chair report this recommendation to the House”..

That brings in that we would do a quick study--you didn't use the word “quick”, so I shouldn't use it. We'd do a study on the recommendations of Standing Order 81(10)(a), which is what this motion is changing, and at that point we would decide on this motion.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Yes, that's--

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

A point of order. Could the clerk please read it in French?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I'm going to allow the clerk to do that.

[The Clerk]

The French reads:

Que la motion soit modifiée par adjonction, après le mot « Règlement. », de ce qui suit: « Que le Comité étudie la motion précédente pour déterminer s’il désire recommander de modifier l’alinéa 81(10)a) du Règlement » et par suppression des mots « et que le président en fait rapport à la Chambre ».

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Mr. Lukiwski, are you okay with the new wording of the amendment?

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Yes, it's better than the last.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

It is clearer to the chair, too.

Mr. Reid, you're still up.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

I think what I'd like to do is find out a bit about how the opposition parties, who after all proposed this, feel about the motion now that they understand how it's worded. Then at that point I'd come back and in my comments try to provide some response to what they're thinking.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Can I ask the question from the chair, then? Can I help you with that, perhaps?

What we're suggesting here is that we do a quick study and take a look at this standing order. Our next meeting is Tuesday. Can we say that first thing on Tuesday we will have whatever witnesses this committee may want to have to look at this for an hour, half an hour, three-quarters of an hour, two hours, or whatever the meeting is on Tuesday? At the end of that time, then, we would move on to the motion if the information has been provided.

Is that what you're suggesting happen, Mr. Reid? Is that what you want?

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

I'm actually trying to figure out what is being proposed by others and how they'll respond to it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

That's what the chair took from Mr. Lukiwski's motion as it is now written: that we would do some sort of quick study and possibly call procedural members—and somebody even mentioned House leaders—to the end of the table to ask what this change means to us, if we make it.

Therre's a point of order.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Thank you.

I have a question. If this amendment fails, is the main motion still in order?

[A Voice]

Yes

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Mr. Reid, does that satisfy you? I know I asked the question, and I didn't hear anything back.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

I'm trying to figure out where the opposition is on this.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

That way you'll know how the opposition is.