Evidence of meeting #19 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Normand Radford

4 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

Mr. Chair, this is not a point of order.

4 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

I'd like to hear from him, perhaps, and not from the parliamentary secretary.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

I'd like to carry on.

4 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

Mr. Warawa, again I'll ask you and plead with you to please refer to amendment NDP-5 and to talk about the 10 years, the baseline, and any suggestions you have for changes.

The problem we're facing is that the subject of climate change is so broad that it's very difficult to rule someone too far out of range, yet I think all of us appreciate that in dealing with the Turning the Corner plan--or Britain's plan, or Russia's plan, or whatever--we are straying a long way from this particular amendment, so again I would plead with you, for the sake of all of us here, to try to focus specifically on this and to talk about this and not just go on endlessly with things other than this amendment. If you could refer what you're saying back to this amendment, it would really be appreciated.

That goes for everyone who's speaking, including Mr. Godfrey, who is on my list. I think it's important that we deal with the amendments. That's what we're here for.

To answer Mr. McGuinty's question, I agree, it's not really a point of order. It's asking for guidance, I think, from the chair, guidance that I cannot give. I do not know the answer, so I can't intervene to provide you with it.

But again I ask all members to please cooperate and to try to move this forward as judiciously as we possibly can, for the sanity of all of us.

4 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Mr. Chair, on this point of order--

4 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

Mr. Cullen, I have basically said that the point of order goes beyond what Mr. Warawa is dealing with, but because it's your bill--

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

I'd like to introduce a motion for a five-minute limit on any intervention on any clause in order to allow the Conservative members their interventions while respecting what you said in terms of staying focused and respecting time.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

Do I have the floor?

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

Yes.

I don't believe you can move that on a point of order. You have to have the floor in order to move that.You have to move it once this clause has been dealt with.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

If that's your ruling, again, I'd like to challenge your ruling.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

It's not a ruling; those are the rules.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

To me, that's what it was.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

Those are the rules.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

I cede to my advisers here, who say those are the rules of the House, that you can't make that when we're discussing a particular amendment.

So everyone understands, we're discussing your amendment on clause 10--

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Yes, I appreciate that.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

--and that can only be done when we move on to clause 11. Those are the rules of the House.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Right, and we all know that the committees are masters of their own fate.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

That's true.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

You've made this ruling; I wish to challenge that ruling.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

I've issued a challenge to the chair; there's no debate.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

It's an immediate vote; it cannot be challenged.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

I can't raise a point of order?

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

No.

I've been challenged on my ruling that this cannot be introduced at this point. That's what I have advised the member.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

You cannot rule on the Standing Orders, Chair. This is out of order. It's improper.