Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 31st, 2014

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Yes. The only thing is, just be double-double sure that whatever deadline is set for the amendments can be met for the Monday night. If we have to get them in on the 23rd or 24th, just tell us and—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

It's the 23rd by noon.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Is it the 23rd by noon instead of the 25th?

We can live with that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Are we all okay with that?

All right.

The Scottish parliamentary group that was coming to visit us—

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

They have mixed-member proportional representation—

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

—yes, and no reading of speeches in the House, and five-minute speech limits. There are a number of things in the Scottish Parliament that I rather like.

However, if it's okay with the group, I'm going to save you; I'm going to throw myself on this Scottish sword.

The day they were to come is the 7th, in the morning. Mr. Allison is already meeting with them to represent the liaison committee, and so I was just going to go there with Mr. Allison and share with him procedure committee information. That was from 10:00 until 11:00, and if not that, then 11 o'clock until....

I'm going to switch it around, anyway. Right after, my vice-chairs and I would meet with the Scottish delegation for an hour about procedure and House affairs and what we've been studying.

It's your call, folks.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I know all those deputies are anxious to work, the vice-chairs.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I know. The vice-chairs are just using midnight to 6:00 for sleep, and so—

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

If we can encourage people to get them in as early as possible, we may be having some amendments ourselves that we're presenting. To be quite honest, I'm not sure whether we can meet the deadline of the 23rd. We can certainly work to get them in as quickly as possible, but if we get the majority of amendments in, certainly from the opposition, early, even if we took until the 25th, is that going to be a problem?

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

You're dragging your heels again, slowing down the process and acting obstructionist. It's one after another—

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

I'm just listening to all of the testimony.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

If we get them as late as the 25th, starting on the Monday would not be a possibility.

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

All right. We'll commit to no later than that and earlier if possible.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

That's great.

[An hon. member]

—no later than what?

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

We would have the amendments in on the 25th at noon.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Do you mean the 23rd at noon?

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

Let's say no later than the 25th. We'll try to get them in earlier and—

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Whoa. It's either the 23rd or the 25th. It's not—

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

David, I'm not sure we can get ours in by the 23rd. That's what I'm saying.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

We'd like to accommodate you. Is there some way we can massage the time in that week so that we can still get the same number of hours?

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

Well, if I heard from the clerk....

Are you saying that if we had them in by noon of the 25th, you'd still be able to go on Monday evening, the 28th?

[A voice]

No.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

We might be able to go with ours, because we'll have a load of them in. But then they would say, can we—?