Canadian Heritage Committee on Feb. 14th, 2008

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

The document was only in French, Mr. Chairman. I am somewhat perturbed to note that an e-mail was sent, but that my colleagues' assistants did not pass along the information.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Okay. It wasn't received by the clerk.

We move to a notice of motion on the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage from the Honourable Jim Abbott, a PC MP, on February 7, 2008:

That the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage examines Canada's policy on half-masting of the Canadian flag in relation to provincial, territorial, and international practices.

Mr. Abbott first, please, and just speak to the motion.

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

Mr. Chairman, this motion is a continuation of suggestions that I have informally made to the committee about the issue of half-masting.

I have been advised that the government is very interested in receiving a report of this nature from the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, as we see this issue as truly being a totally non-partisan issue. We take a look at the motion that's presently before the House in the name of Mr. Telegdi, which has a tremendous amount of merit, but we believe that in taking a look at it, if we're only taking a look at the Peace Tower with respect to that motion, indeed it's probably deficient, in that we have to take a look at the entire practice, because what happens off the Hill and what happens on other public building will relate to what is happening on the Peace Tower.

That is the reason for the timing of the motion. It's something we have discussed for a period of time, and I would like to see this move forward in due course.

The acceptance of this motion, should it be the wisdom of the committee to vote in favour of this motion, does not imply that we would instantly drop everything, forget our CBC report or whatever else we are doing. It's one of the items of business. What it would be an indication of is that it's one of the items of business that this committee would undertake in due course, as time is available. That's the full extent of it. I think it's something that is overdue.

I might advise the committee that the government would be prepared to give the committee whatever assistance from whatever research that might be available from whatever sources and make it available so that we can have a very meaningful and very fulsome contribution. The committee would have a fulsome contribution to this question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Mr. Bélanger.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Chairman, you may recall that a couple of weeks ago another member of the committee also recommended a motion relating to a study that we should undertake as a committee, and at that time I moved to table. The argumentation was that we really need to finish this report.

We're very near finishing this report, so I would imagine that if a similar motion was put forward and adopted we'd get to it, perhaps even as early as the week we're back. But I really don't believe we should detract in any way, shape, or form from finishing this. There's been almost a year and a half invested in it by various members.

For that same reason, and it's not to belittle or to deny the importance and the significance of the motion that Mr. Abbott has put forward--I think the committee will in due course deal with it--but for the time being, I would move to table.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

It's moved that this motion be tabled.

(Motion agreed to)

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

Mr. Chair, there's an item of business that I think we have to consider. I would be happy to provide notice of motion, so we can deal with what I'm going to talk about here on Tuesday, except that I think we may have unanimous consent to deal with it without that formality.

This is the issue of Bill C-327, which has been referred to this committee. Bill C-327 might loosely be called “violence in television”. It is a motion of a Bloc member. It passed second reading. We are now reaching a point at which, if we do not have a 30-day extension, the bill will be referred back to the House unamended. Unless I'm mistaken, there was broad consensus that the issue is very important, that it's very important that we have witnesses and that we take a look at all of the ramifications of the bill.

Logically, because we have been time-constrained with the CBC consideration, we haven't gotten around to this bill. But according to my understanding of parliamentary procedure, if we do not have this extension, the bill would automatically be referred back to the House without amendment and the House will have to deal with it. I don't think that was the intent of the members of the House.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

March 5.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

So you're seeking a 30-day extension.

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

Yes, a 30-day extension, and basically all I'm saying is that I can table the motion or we can have unanimous agreement for the 30-day extension today.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Have we unanimous agreement?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

We have unanimous agreement to seek extension. I'll have to table a report. I can do that tomorrow also.

Thank you. I will table that report tomorrow.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

You should get the motion adopted, though. We've only got—

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I didn't adopt the motion, okay. I'm sorry, I'm ahead of myself here.

The vote is on the extension, the motion put forward by Mr. Abbott.

(Motion agreed to)

With that, the meeting is adjourned.