Evidence of meeting #127 for Canadian Heritage in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was hours.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Michael Coteau Liberal Don Valley East, ON
I'd like to move an amendment that instead of three hours, we make it two hours so that it fits into one meeting.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
We have an amendment on the floor.
Is there discussion or debate on the amendment?
Go ahead, Mr. Kurek.
Conservative
Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
In acknowledging the clock, Madam Chair, as you know, we have 12 minutes. I think what is becoming increasingly clear is that according to what the Liberals have suggested, they're in support of the motion but seem to be doing everything they can to delay actually getting to a vote.
Three hours is reasonable. Ms. Tait has been to committee before. She has refused to answer questions before. I think three hours is very reasonable. I won't support lessening it to two.
However, what is becoming abundantly clear is that the Liberals simply don't seem to want to vote. I know that there are other motions that are important and that we would sure like to deal with in committee business. Unfortunately, intentions are becoming clear.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you, Mr. Kurek.
I would like to point out that I think it's always a dangerous road we go down when we presume to know what people are thinking.
Go ahead, Mr. Noormohamed.
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I was just going to point out to Mr. Kurek.... The hope was that now that we have new members, we'd get to a place where we actually trust each other and assume the best intentions in each other.
To my mind, I'm not trying to delay a vote on this. I think it would be very important for us. I wanted to speak to the notion of the two hours and then getting to a vote and having a resolution before we all end today. That's my commitment to this group. I mean, I can only speak for our side.
That's the intention, but I will say this: Historically, when we've had witnesses, we've had them for two hours. We've run them through the mill for two hours. They have done what they need to do in two hours.
There's not a question, I don't think. We should be able to get to everything that we need to get to—
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
Yes, I'm speaking in favour of the amendment.
I mean, we reserve the right as a committee to call her back, as we have done before. My suggestion would be that given the resources for two hours, given we know that we have questions to ask her.... You will all recall that the last time we were here, all of us asked her some pretty tough and difficult questions, as you know. It was a fairly non-partisan effort or all-party effort at trying to get answers.
I would support that amendment, and if there are no other comments on it, let's get it to a vote.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Is there any more discussion on the amendment of two hours? There's no discussion, so I will ask the clerk to go to the vote on the amendment.
(Amendment agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
We are going to two hours. That's the amendment. It's now amended to “no less than two hours each”.
Now we're going to go to the motion as amended. Is there any discussion on the motion as amended? I see no hands up, so I'm going to call the vote. We have five minutes left on the clock. Let's do that, because I'm told we do not have resources to carry on further.
Go ahead, Clerk. Please get the motion moving.
(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
I would like to congratulate this committee. On the very first meeting, we agreed on a motion. Thank you very much, guys.
Did you have your hand up, Mr. Noormohamed?
Liberal
Taleeb Noormohamed Liberal Vancouver Granville, BC
I did, but if you're going to adjourn, then I won't bother you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Seeing that we only have four more minutes on the clock, I will move that we adjourn this meeting.
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Seeing that we have some extra time, before we adjourn—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
I had called the meeting adjourned, so unless you want me to have a vote on the adjournment of the meeting with no debate, I can't entertain your motion, because the meeting was—
NDP
