Evidence of meeting #1 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
It's another motion, Mr. Chair, to deal with motions deemed abandoned. I think people can read this, but the motions reads:
All motions shall be moved by their sponsor within two meetings of their first being listed on the agenda as committee business, failing which the motion shall be deemed abandoned by the mover and shall be dispensed with and may no longer be subject to committee consideration.
This is just simply a reaction to situations where we found people giving notice of motions but then not following through with them, so just leaving them in limbo, and then no one knows when they're going to come forward. It's not healthy for the committee's business. We're just suggesting that if people are going to make motions, they should treat them seriously and bring them forward within two committee meetings, or else they would be abandoned. If they want to bring them back at another point, I guess that's up to them, but we don't just leave motions in limbo as far as the committee is concerned.
Liberal
Paul Steckle Liberal Huron—Bruce, ON
I would oppose that change in the rules as we now have them because just as recently as in the last session, in a filibuster we had in this committee, there were two people--one with the NDP and I believe one with the Bloc--who put forward motions, and we didn't get to them for successive meetings because of a filibuster. Those motions or amendments would have been lost, so I would hope that we don't go down that road. Once a motion's been put in place, it should stay there until it's dealt with, and I see no need of doing that.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
I guess all I can say is I would certainly support that, but there's nothing in here to say that it can't be brought back. I know what Paul is referring to, and to me that's not the reason this was brought in. There are some instances in other committees that you may or may not be aware of that happened, that were deliberately done, and this would fix that problem.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I have a question on the two motions we had before the committee last session. The motions were moved. They weren't just left on notice, were they?
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
The two that Mr. Steckle was talking about.
Liberal
Paul Steckle Liberal Huron—Bruce, ON
They were dealt with. We ultimately got to them after the filibuster. We eventually got to them because they were changes that they were proposing, but we dealt with them. The session was there long enough for us to do that. They would have died with the session anyway, so they would have to be brought back.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I understand those motions were moved. The motions were made, but this doesn't affect those. This affects motions that are given, just notice of motions, and then nothing more is done with them and they're just left hanging in space. Actually, to correct something I said and Mr. Miller said, it does make the point that they will be dispensed with and may no longer be considered, so people are going to have to treat them seriously. If they want to bring them forward, they're either going to have to deal with them or they won't be considered again.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Just to clarify, Mr. Anderson is saying they can't be left on the notice paper, they actually have to get moved at committee.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Those two motions were moved at committee. They weren't just left on the notice paper.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Okay, so that's a clarification. So people who are putting motions on notice, but never bringing them forward to committee, and they're sitting there in limbo, they're saying that if they don't get moved at committee, they will be then dispensed with forever.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
I think I'm clear on this. So on the motions that André and whoever brought forth--the ones we're talking about--this would not affect those because they were actually moved.
November 14th, 2007 / 5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
Okay. I think there's a big difference, and that needs to be....
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
No, Ken's motion in the last session wasn't put on the floor, so Ken's would have been allowed. That would have happened. Alex had two that he filed, one he moved and one he didn't. So the ones that weren't moved by Ken and Alex would have actually been lost.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
They would have to be moved. They can't just sit there forever.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
You have to get them on the floor at some point.
Okay, it's as clear as mud.
(Motion negatived)