Debates of Nov. 23rd, 2011

Bill C-18--Time Allocation Motion

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Denise Savoie]

In my opinion the yeas have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #63

Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I declare the motion carried.

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member for Burnaby—New Westminster came in after the vote started. The member is not a new member. He should know the rules and his vote should be discounted.

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP agrees.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I am sure the record will reflect that.

I wish to inform the House that because of the proceedings on the time allocation motion, government orders will be extended by 30 minutes.

[Disturbance in gallery]

Taking of Photographs in Chamber

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Before moving on to government orders, I understand there are a few points of order.

I will go first to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, I think that taking photographs in the House is not allowed. I wonder if the member for Malpeque would like to address that issue and perhaps erase the pictures he was taking with his own cellphone.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I did take a picture. The sign up in the gallery was the absolute truth in terms of some of those things that the minister—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. I believe there have been previous rulings about taking pictures. I did not see the hon. member for Malpeque but he has indicated that he did take pictures. I would ask him to respect the rules of the House.

The hon. member for Malpeque.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I will erase the picture.

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Minister of State and Chief Government Whip]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Surrey North also took photos and ran out of the House.

[An hon. member]

Chicken.

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON]

He is guilty of the same offence.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please.

The hon. member for London West on a new point.

Disturbance in Gallery

[Ed Holder, Conservative, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have been in this House now for just over three years and we see various types of conduct. What I just witnessed troubled me. Clearly, all sides have various perspectives on an issue. It is absolutely our privilege to have those differences and to speak to them, sometimes with great enthusiasm. However, what troubled me today was what I witnessed: members of the opposition applauded with a standing ovation the folks from the gallery who had a different view.

Here is my concern, and I say this for the benefit of newer members. We have had situations in the past when security staff have cleared individuals from the galleries who caused mischief in this House. Those individuals put the security staff at risk and put them in the hospital.

I do not believe that encouraging this kind of conduct is appropriate. I would ask that members hold their own views but do not respond to situations such as that in the gallery. That is not acceptable.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is rich, coming from the government that always talks about freedom of expression and last night introduced a bill—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please.

The hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I have been in this House for fourteen and a half years and I have never seen a government put time allocation on a speech in the House and the democracy of our—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please.

Is the hon. member for Scarborough Southwest rising on a point of order?

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

I most certainly am, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of State and Chief Government Whip, a few moments ago, while attacking one of our members, made a comment as to whether the member was here. The government whip should know better than to comment on whether someone is here. Furthermore, the members around him were calling that member a chicken, which I believe is unparliamentary, and is now being applauded.