Agriculture Committee on Dec. 8th, 2009

[An hon. member]

I'm surprised, because Mr. Atamanenko is here.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

I think we can agree on it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

This is a different twist. This isn't a tabled motion, so we need unanimous consent to allow Mr. Hoback to table Mr. Atamanenko's motion.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Actually, Mr. Chair, I'm not tabling it; I'm just asking that—

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

You are not tabling it, but you're moving it for debate.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I'm moving it for a vote, yes.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

We think we can agree on it quickly.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

That's exactly what I was going to say, Mr. Chair. This is something that I think would be easy to get through. It shouldn't take a lot of time. Let's get it done with.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

It's meant to pass your motion quickly, Alex.

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

I feel as if I've lost control over it.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

People are making decisions for me.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Atamanenko, my intent was to just get this motion forward and dealt with. It's up to you, Alex.

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

If we can vote on it right now, and we're going to vote on it, that's fine. I don't want my motion to interfere with more important pressing motions that we have to discuss. If you want to call a vote and vote on it now, I would be very happy to leave it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

It looks like Mr. Bellavance wants to speak to it, and then Mr. Lemieux.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

I give my consent for an immediate vote on this motion. My hand is up because, after that, I want to speak.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I have you next, but I have Mr. Lemieux on this issue.

Go ahead.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

I want to speak next.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Thanks, Chair.

Just to talk about what is trying to be done here, basically, as I mentioned, there were five motions in front of committee today. I tried to get us to focus on the report. That was voted down, so now we're going to be dealing with motions.

I think we all showed goodwill on Mr. Valeriote's motion. First of all, we allowed it to be dealt with at the beginning of the meeting, and we all voted for it. Now we have Mr. Atamanenko's motion. We can pull that forward. I think we can all vote in favour of that and dispose of that motion. That's what Mr. Hoback is doing. We all realize it's a motion we can all support, so why don't we just vote on it and get it off the table? Then we'll move on to the other motions.

That is the intent. It is a goodwill intent, a goodwill endeavour to vote on a motion and move it off the table so we can get back to the report.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

The year of the bee.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I'm going to make a notice of motion that I'm going to be bringing a motion through for the year of the Charolais steer next meeting.

Who else is hapless up here? My God, I've heard just about everything now.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

I just have a question, if I can, of Mr. Lemieux. Through the chair, do you not consider the content of André's motion to be serious and a matter so serious—

[An hon. member]

What's the relevance?

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

No, I'll answer the question. Go ahead and finish it.