Canadian Heritage Committee on Oct. 16th, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Just one second. The amendment is on the table. If we're going to have a vote, we're going to vote on the amendment.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Can we just clarify how it reads?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

No, we don't have an amendment on because it has to be a friendly amendment. It has to be accepted, and he's not accepting the amendment.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

But I can move an amendment to the motion, which I did. In fact, those were my words. I would move an amendment.

[Jim Abbott, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Furthermore, if we do get to the motion, the motion in French is not the same as the motion in English. So which motion are we voting on, the French version or the English version?

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Why do you want to exclude witnesses, Charlie?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

It's been explained to me that what we have to do, because Mr. Angus has specified that he wants “who have utilized the Court Challenges Program”, is make an amendment to the French translation that's here.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Just to clarify my amendment, add the words, “and from organizations who applied for funding under this program and were unsuccessful”.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

We'll vote on the amendment.

Yes, Mr. Malo?

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

It is just a matter or correcting the translation. It should not say “ont fait appel”, but rather “ont eu recours”. It is the literal translation of Mr. Angus's motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

What we're going to do here--

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

It is just a matter of correcting the translation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

First of all, we're going to vote on the amendment.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Excuse me, Mr. Chair.

They're using this amendment in an attempt to bring forward that amendment in another way.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

They're correcting the language.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

They are not correcting it. They are changing it. And you're changing the wording of my motion.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

No, they're not. My amendment is on the table--

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Their amendment is not an amendment. It's clarifying the language, and that's what we're asked to do here.

What you're trying to do, Mr. Chair, is allow them to change the wording that I brought forward in English, the original wording in English,--

[Voices]

No. No.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

--which is that we are inviting “witnesses from organizations who have utilized”, people who actually used the program.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

He is proposing an amendment. He has the right to propose an amendment to your motion.

The motion we're voting on will be what it says in English: “that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage invites witnesses from organizations who have utilized the Court Challenges Program”. The French translation will be corrected to say that.

Now we are going to vote on the amendment by Mr. Fast. Mr. Fast's amendment is: “and for organizations who have applied and were not successful”

All those in favour of the amendment?

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Hold on a moment, please.

Could we count the votes?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Okay.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

I would like to have a clarification on the amendment. Are we adding or substituting something?

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

That completely changes the meaning of the motion.