Evidence of meeting #21 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
I appreciate the good work that's happened at the committee today. I think it's a good compromise approach from all parties, and I would be glad, under those understandings, to remove my amendment.
11:15 a.m.
Liberal
John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Mr. Warawa, you don't want us to go on indefinitely about this bill. Nobody does.
11:15 a.m.
The Hon. John Godfrey
Yes, but we're going to add these words to the motion as soon as possible. We are going to complete our study as soon as possible, in accordance with the work plan that we are going to establish on Thursday, because Mr. Warawa has just told us that he does not want to extend the debate on Bill C-288.
11:20 a.m.
Liberal
John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON
If we have those concepts in the amendment that capture the sense that we will not set a final limit, but that we will try to do it as quickly as possible—taking into account the work plan, which shall be established on Thursday—then I think this covers off the notion that we're not going to go on about this indefinitely, but we're going to give it the time it needs to take into account other witnesses.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Again, if I could get clarification, I'll remove my amendment. The amendment now is what?
11:20 a.m.
Liberal
John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON
It's to “begin its study of the bill no later than Thursday, November 2, and to conclude it as quickly as possible after the committee has established its work plan”.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
11:20 a.m.
Liberal
John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON
I have one question. In order to get a level of comfort for everybody, do we need to have a final “no later than”? Do you have a date in mind that you would not want to go to, no later than a certain date?
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
We have a legal requirement to deal with it by February. I don't think anybody wants it to go to February, but I think we could deal with it at the work plan on Thursday of this week.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
May I just interrupt this for a minute with the ruling to Mr. Vellacott? This is a ruling given by the chair of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs on April 19, 2005: “A point of order was raised regarding the time of adjournment of the meeting.” The ruling by the chair was: “Unless a motion to adjourn is moved and adopted...”.
So it was what I read before. This was put by Mr. Gary Goodyear, the chair of the committee at that time.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Well, that's an example from another committee, with due respect. I can't find a thing in these manuals here. I don't find anything in Marleau and Montpetit. There's nothing in here with respect to that.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Another committee happened to make that as a ruling, but in terms of written authority, procedure, and mandate, there isn't that. There's only one similar case that happened.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
The clerk advises me he can come up with findings from other cases where this same ruling has been made.
Can we move on, and the clerk will provide us with that information?
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
I think we're invalid for the past twenty minutes here. Some of us have appointments we've already missed as a result of this.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Mr. Vellacott, I agree, but I really don't think this is the issue here. The real issue here is, are we going to get on with this motion or not?
The background information will be provided.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
As the right and privilege of a member of Parliament...you sent a notice with respect to our concluding at eleven o'clock. This means nothing; it's totally without point if it means that we go on and on.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
The problem is that the rules say I can't cut off debate. That's what the problem is.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
The rules say the authority of the chair is to do either one or the other.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
No. That is only if it becomes disorderly. There is a grey area, I admit, Mr. Vellacott. The grey area is in the event of disorder. I trust this is not that disorderly, so I have ruled that we are carrying on with debate.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Prior to that there was a reference that gave you the latitude, and in fact it was stated specifically that you could go on.
