Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 4th, 2014

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

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, has Mr. Mulcair been sworn in?

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Yes, I have, Tom. Poor you.

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

I was just asking. You weren't the last time.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Well, he's the chair, you see. He's the chair. He just asked you before to show respect for the chair, so show respect for the chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Let's keep it through the chair, and then we'll all be respectful. That would be—

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

There you go.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

In real reality, Mr. Mulcair—

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

That's what I was saying to you—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Let me finish, please.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Oh, I see. I thought you had recognized me.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

No.

In real reality, the member who you've sworn in for is still in the room and so, in fact, she's still recognized—

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

I see.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

—but I'll give you a very short finish to your point of order.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Thank you. I do appreciate your opening on that with regard to the difference between “real reality”, as you just said, and “reality”, so let's stay with that theme.

The reality is that this is the first time in the history of Canada the government has tried to use its majority to shut down debate on the Canada Elections Act.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you, Mr. Mulcair. You're well beyond a point of order.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

You should be ashamed to be part of it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

We'll move on to Mr. Christopherson and his speech on his motion.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I think I'm doing well, Chair. I went from impasse to motion and now speech, so I'm still in the good books to that degree.

I thought I would—

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

A point of order, Mr. Chair....

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I guess I won't.

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

On a point of order, Mr. Mulcair was saying he was sworn in, and of course, you pointed out quite correctly that the person he was supposed to be replacing was still in the room, so technically he was not allowed to speak. Am I correct on that?

Now I know the NDP has asked Madame Latendresse to leave the room.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

That is the procedure, Mr. Lukiwski, but we're not there now, so let's move on.

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

So he was not in order when he was making his remarks.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I'll go along with you on that.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

I might not have been in order, but I was right.