Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 13th, 2013

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Mr. Lamoureux...?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Agreed.

(Subamendment withdrawn)

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

We're now talking about the amendment.

I have a new floor. I have Mr. Dykstra, Mr. Leung, Mr. Weston, Mr. Opitz, Mr. Menegakis, and Ms. James.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

And everyone on this side, too.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

I looked over here. Theirs were the first hands I saw.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

But we still have our hands up.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Of course. Ms. Sims, Madam Groguhé, Ms. Sitsabaiesan, Ms. Latendresse—hello, welcome to the committee.

[Alexandrine Latendresse, NDP, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

I don't think I've met you before. You're next and followed by Mr. Lamoureux.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

A point of order, Ms. Sims.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Just on what happened here. I'm trying to seek clarification, Chair. I'm looking for some references as to why this happened.

When a subamendment is withdrawn, passes, or fails, you go back to the speakers list that existed on the amendment. I want an explanation of what happened here. I would like the records and the books, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

I'm going to confer with the clerks.

Ladies and gentlemen, I've conferred with the clerks on Ms. Sims' point.

With respect to a speakers list, the clerk has drawn to my attention that there was a list made for the amendment made by Ms. Sitsabaiesan. I now have that list before me. However, I gather, after conferring with the clerks, that I wasn't present when that list was made. I didn't make that list; someone else made the list. You were chair and you made the list, Ms. Sims.

The clerks have advised me that I have complete discretion to form a list when something such as this has happened. I'm exercising my discretion. The list as I originally advised stands.

Mr. Dykstra has the floor.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

On a point of order, Ms. Sims.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

With all due respect, Mr. Chair, when I suspended the meeting on Friday, it was with lists in place, with speakers lists. The meeting was not adjourned.

When a chair changes—and you are the chair, absolutely—I find it unfortunate that, as this is not a new meeting, the chair has now unilaterally started a new list.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Ms. Sims, if you want to challenge my decision, you go right ahead. We'll do that.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

I will challenge your decision.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Okay.

Shall the ruling of the chair be sustained?

(Ruling of the chair sustained)

Mr. Dykstra has the floor.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

The amendment itself, when moved, was a little surprising for the government, because it actually changes the ability for the government to deal with this.

If the motion here, for the extension on the private member's bill, were to carry, it would mean that it would need to be reintroduced in the House through a concurrence motion, at least initially at report stage by you, Chairman. It would actually change the ability for the government to introduce that motion into the House by refining the day of introduction to one day, that day being Friday, June 21.

Now, the difficulty with that, and the purpose, I suppose, of the amendment, is to define one specific day that the bill would be reintroduced. The difficulty in that, Mr. Chairman, is that if the House were to rise tomorrow, Wednesday, or Thursday, it would put us in a position where the government's hands would be tied—your hands would be tied—in terms of the day that you would introduce the motion from the committee into the House of Commons.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Ms. Sims.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

On a point of order, Chair, I'm just wondering what time adjournment is set for today.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Oh, we're just going on.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Thank you.