We're going to Ms. Sims.
Evidence of meeting #84 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #84 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:45 p.m.
NDP
1:45 p.m.
NDP
Pierre-Luc Dusseault NDP Sherbrooke, QC
Yes, and I would like to raise another point of order after. However, I also want to get back to the debate.
1:45 p.m.
NDP
1:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Kevin Lamoureux
Is this on this point of order? Okay, go ahead on this point of order.
June 13th, 2013 / 1:45 p.m.
NDP
Pierre-Luc Dusseault NDP Sherbrooke, QC
Yes.
Standing Order 115(5) covers situations where the bells ring. I was under the impression that when the bells started ringing, we could use section 115(5) to suspend the meeting to go and vote. I thought that also applied to question period. If some members had commitments, for example a member's statement to read, but we could not find a replacement for them in five minutes, they would feel cornered.
I will not necessarily cite parliamentary privilege here today, given that it's a hypothetical question. We aren't there yet. However, I wanted to add to the debate by referring to Standing Order 115(5), which talks about situations when the bells ring. To some extent, that could also include question period, which all members are required to attend, in the same way as they are required to attend the votes.
1:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Kevin Lamoureux
Thank you.
Ms. James, it's your turn, and then we'll go to Ms. Sims and then Mr. Del Mastro.
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
I would like to get back to debate as well because we've had so many interruptions. I just feel that, as a woman, I need to come to the aid of Ms. Freeman. She was having difficulties understanding what my colleague Mr. Dean Del Mastro said. I have to say I'm the youngest of five children. My parents are close to 80, and sometimes they come up with expressions I don't quite understand because of the age difference. I don't know whether she understands exactly what Mr. Dean Del Mastro was referring to or whether he needs to clarify it in terms that maybe are more understandable to all members of the committee. I would like to come to her aid and ask her if she understands what that phrase meant or whether she needs it clarified.
1:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Kevin Lamoureux
Before we continue, I'm glad to see that the two of you are adopting a sisterhood of sorts.
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
I'm trying not to sound funny, but most members of this committee understood what it meant. I just wanted to make sure that she was....
1:50 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
I would appreciate it if Mr. Del Mastro explained to the committee what he meant. That would be wonderful.
1:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Kevin Lamoureux
One of things we have to be very careful of is that there can only be one speaker at a time. Ms. James has the floor. If you would like to express something, you have to address it as a point of order, but given that there's a point of order currently, all you can do is put up your hand and our trusty clerk will identify you and put your name down so you're able to speak.
I'm going to put in a two-minute timeline. Just so we can get through the points of order, no one will speak for more than two minutes unless half that time is spent on a citation from a book. We're starting to get a number of people wanting to speak. If I give you the floor, please observe the two minutes, unless you are citing strictly from a rule book, and I'll give you an extension at that point.
Ms. James, we're going to start with you. The clock is going to start ticking as soon as you say your first word. After Ms. James, we're going to Ms. Sims, then Mr. Del Mastro, and then Ms. Freeman. Okay?
Ms. James.
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
I want to get back to debate. I wanted to make sure that everyone on the committee understood the terms that were used. I think Ms. Freeman gets the gist of it, so I'm okay at this point.
Thank you very much.
1:50 p.m.
NDP
Jinny Sims NDP Newton—North Delta, BC
Mr. Chair, in light of the emotion of the point of order, there are very few privileges that we enjoy as members of Parliament. One of them is the right to deliver a statement in the House. I know my colleagues on the other side, some of the backbenchers, have struggled to exercise their right to deliver a statement when it's their turn. I found out minutes ago that it's my turn. I have a spot today. It's called in a cyclical way, and I've been so busy doing other things that I haven't checked my calendar to see that I have a statement to make today. I'm really hopeful that you will suspend the meeting so I can carry out my privileges and not, at the same time, have to miss out on important deliberations at this meeting.
1:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Kevin Lamoureux
Thank you, Ms. Sims. That was well under a minute.
Mr. Del Mastro.
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
Mr. Chairman, I would simply point out that Mr. Opitz has actually left to deliver a statement in the House. That opportunity is available to Ms. Sims, Ms. Freeman, or anybody else. This committee has important work to do. There's plenty of precedents for committees to sit through question period, in fact for committees to sit through the weekend and sit through the summer, Mr. Chairman. This is an important question that's before this committee. I'd encourage you to get back to debate to deal with the question at hand.
1:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Kevin Lamoureux
I'm getting ready to reset the clock. Ms. Freeman, the floor is yours.
1:50 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Thank you, Chair. I'll try to keep it to a few minutes.
On this point I have to come back to the fact that while we've been discussing this point of order, there have been repeated attempts to mock me based on both my gender and my age and I'm finding it rather frustrating. The entire morning has been this way. Every time I raise that I'm cold, that it is loud, members laugh at me. I'm also starting to be harassed on Twitter so I'm finding my morning to be extremely difficult. It's coming to the point, Chair, at which I'm actually feeling really uncomfortable.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Kevin Lamoureux
Ms. Freeman, I'll stop you for a moment.
I think we have to provide Ms. Freeman the courtesy of listening as she explains. It's not appropriate to be expressing something that's going to distract her from being able to express her thoughts on what is an important issue, so I would ask for a bit more decorum and sensitivity.
Ms. Freeman, the floor is yours to continue. You have about 45 seconds left.
1:55 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Thank you very much, Chair. I really appreciate your calling the meeting back to order. That's exactly what I was talking about.
I tried to make light of it so we could move on and talk about the issue earlier, which was whether or not we as a committee were going to attend question period, but there was continual pushing on sexist and ageist comments.
At this point, through you, I'd ask my colleagues to apologize or at least to refrain from laughing and trying to intimidate me when I'm raising points on this committee. It's absolutely my right to do so. I am a member of this committee in good standing just as much as they are and should have the opportunity to raise my voice when I want.
Thank you.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
1:55 p.m.
Conservative