Canada-China Relations Committee on May 10th, 2021

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

It looks like I have people still wishing to debate. Mr. Fragiskatos, I think your hand is now down.

Go ahead, Mr. Harris.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Since we're perhaps being a little bit picky here and I invited the question, I think it would be very useful and instructive to those who are paying attention that any decision of this committee of this kind be unanimous. If that's possible, I think it would be more forceful.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you, Mr. Harris.

Mr. Dubourg, you have the floor.

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

In terms of procedures, I'm trying to keep up.

First, Ms. Zann moved a motion. Mr. Genuis then moved an amendment and Mr. Harris moved another amendment. However, when Mr. Oliphant moved his motion, it was put to a vote right away.

Mr. Chair, I would like you to coordinate these amendments and subamendments in order to come up with a motion so that we can vote in a reasonable manner on what has been presented, because there are several changes. There's also Mr. Fragiskatos' suggestion.

As you know, the steps are as follows: proceed with the amendments, vote on the amendments, and then move on to the subamendments, until the passage of the final motion. It would be nice to work that way, Mr. Chair, with all due respect.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you, Mr. Dubourg.

I believe that I must first deal with the subamendment. I must then deal with the amendment as amended by the subamendment. Lastly, I must deal with the motion, as amended by both, or not amended at all if the amendments and subamendments aren't passed.

Madam Clerk, is that right?

[The Clerk]

Yes, exactly.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Mr. Dubourg, I see that you've finished.

Mr. Bergeron, you have the floor.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I think that, as parliamentarians, we have come a long way together. I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Harris's comment about the importance of being unanimous.

I think that Mr. Fragiskatos is proposing an honourable compromise. I believe that we should accept this proposed compromise unanimously, by consensus, and that we should pass the whole thing unanimously as well. I don't want us to be divided in any way.

I think that the unanimity referred to by Mr. Harris has merit and that, given the steps taken by our colleagues on the government side, we should accept this proposed compromise, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you, Mr. Bergeron.

I believe that Mr. Genuis said that Mr. Fragiskatos's suggestion should be discussed when we come back to the amendment.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Mr. Chair, let me say that Mr. Oliphant proposed 14 days by unanimous consent. This was refused.

Mr. Fragiskatos asked for 10 days by unanimous consent. However, there was no decision on that request. I just want to say that, if this type of request for unanimous consent were made—and I believe that it was—I would agree that we should proceed to 10 days.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you.

I think it will be sought once we are back on the amendment, after dealing with the subamendment.

I see no hands raised.

Are we ready for the vote on the subamendment? Is anyone opposed to the subamendment?

(Subamendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

We are back to the amendment.

Is there any debate on the amendment?

Go ahead, Mr. Williamson.

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Just for clarification, is this the amendment of 10 days or is this MP Genuis's amendment?

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

We're at Mr. Genuis's amendment, and therefore, of course, if someone wishes to make the change to 10 days, they can propose that during this conversation.

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

I will do that, with a full nod to my honourable colleague, MP Fragiskatos. I think we should move that, and I look for unanimous consent to make that happen. I move that “within 7 days” be replaced by “within 10 days”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you very much.

Is there anyone opposed to that motion to amend that was proposed by Mr. Genuis? Seeing none, that motion to amend is carried.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

We are now on to the main motion—

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

I'm sorry, Chair. There was no objection, but is that interpreted as it being a unanimous motion? I would say that if we get to the main motion, we should have a recorded vote so that we can be very clear that it's not just that nobody objected, but that there was a unanimous consent to the motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you, Mr. Harris.

Go ahead, Mr. Fragiskatos.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

Chair, one of our colleagues, Rob Oliphant, has technical challenges. He's lost his Internet. We've been collaborating here. I wonder if we can somehow find a way to ensure that it gets back on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I have a thought. It being 9:26 Pacific Time, 8:26 Eastern Time, and I guess 9:56 in Newfoundland and Labrador time, maybe we can take a five-minute health break. Is that agreeable? I see thumbs up, so—

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

You read my mind. Chair.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I have my whole file of motions to propose when Rob Oliphant is not online. I was about to pull those out.

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Just don't take over the chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I think it is still a good idea to take that five-minute health break.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

All right.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Mr. Oliphant, this is your opportunity to do so.