Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 4th, 2014

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I understand that, but again it's from a group who has been in this room once, not able to speak in this room but was in this room once, and certainly when we get to the motion—sorry, when we get to the legislation—I'm certain they'll be invited by yourself or other parties to come and give their whole thoughts.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

No, I appreciate that, Chair.

Again, I am theoretically trying to convince colleagues to support my motion; therefore, I need to show why it's a good motion, but I take your point, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

More?

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

No, I'm putting that one aside. I'm respecting what you said and I'm trying to stay relevant. I do hope that there isn't this continuing tightness of the rules where my rights to speak are different at hour five than they were at hour one, but I digress, and I don't want—

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Mr. Martin, if it's not a speech, I'll hear a point of order.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

No, no, it isn't. I want a point of clarification in the way that you're conducting the order of this. I'm hoping to be on this speakers list and I'd like to perhaps speak after Mr. Lukiwski on this, so I need to know—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

There are a few others on the list, Mr. Martin.

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

You won't get there—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

There are about five or six there. We'll put your name at the bottom.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Okay. I'll pack a lunch and I'll wait my turn.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Yes, and maybe your pyjamas.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Fair enough, but I just want to know.... You're saying that because David is reading from emails sent in by people who may belong to Leadnow.... Even though they're individual representations from individual Canadian voters, because they belong to that umbrella organization, you're not allowing that to be entered into the—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

No. I'm suggesting that the method in this committee has always been to, through a steering committee, pick who our witnesses will be, and we're certain that's the case, and the legislation calls for those people to come, and we'll hear that evidence.... I'm suggesting that now we're on a motion about the study, and the motion will be what Mr. Christopherson will speak to. And so—

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Okay, but if I could, just for clarification, because I'm going to run into the same problem if there's going to be a ruling.... If I intend to use, as justification for support for the motion, language sent in by email from a Canadian individual who happens to be a member of the Leadnow organization, you won't entertain that, you'll rule that out of order. What if that person is a member of another organization, like the carpenters' union?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Are you going to—

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

It's not a point of order.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Well, it's a point of clarification.

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

It's not a point of order.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

It's a point of clarification that I'm—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you very much, Mr. Martin—

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

Do you understand the difference between a point of clarification and a point of order?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I have ruled on this already, and I've already given this guidance to Mr. Christopherson, a day earlier or a couple of days earlier.

We'll carry on.

Mr. Christopherson on the motion, please.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

There's no rush. I'm not going far.

Thank you, Chair.

As I said, I listened to what you said, and you were good enough to allow me to read the parts of it that I did, but you said that I had reached the limit on that one. You saw me take it and put it aside. I'm done that one.

But I would like to pursue the notion of—