Environment Committee on April 7th, 2008

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Right now, Mr. Harvey. Anybody else who wants to be on this list can be put on this list. Everybody can speak.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

A request was made to the chair to call the vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

As long as there are speakers, we can't vote.

We have Mr. Watson—

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

No, I don't think so, Mr. Chair. I don't think that's an appropriate ruling.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

We have Mr. Warawa. Do we have Mr. Petit?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Harvey was not on the list. You've added him to the list without checking with this committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Mr. Watson, you wanted to speak to this point of order.

Mr. Bigras, did you want a point of order?

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

No.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Mr. Watson has the floor.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

I'd like to speak to the point of order.

Mr. Chair, when Mr. Warawa ceded his time his last statement was that he would like to speak after Mr. Harvey. Let's put the point aside on whether Mr. Harvey is validly speaking or not as next in the order. Again, Mr. Warawa gave a very clear indication that he wanted to be added to the speakers list again.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Mr. Watson, that's exactly correct, and the blues will show that. We don't have the blues right now.

We have to accept speakers. Again, if we had the blues here, we could show what Mr. Warawa said.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

[Inaudible--Editor]

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Well, the clerks don't agree with your rules, Mr. McGuinty.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Chair, we may have to take this up among the opposition members.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

The clerk doesn't agree with us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Well, if you want to suspend while you discuss it, that's fine with me.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Chair, I think you have arbitrarily added Mr. Harvey's name to the list. Everybody on this side of the table understood that when Mr. Harvey stepped out to do his television interview. We did not allow Mr. Warawa's substitution. Why would he arbitrarily be put back on the bottom of the list?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Because he requested it from me and the speaker and because it was very clear that he wanted to speak. Those are the rules.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

What's the rule with respect to calling for a vote after the speakers list is exhausted?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

The speakers list is not exhausted.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

It was when I asked for the vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Mr. Warawa, as Mr. Watson pointed out, when he finished he said, “I know that Mr. Harvey has things he wants to say, and then I want to add after that.”

Basically, you have two speakers on the speaking list, which was confirmed long before you called for the vote. Besides, if you put up your hand, I would put it down here as well.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Chair, you have not once asked viva voce, live voice at this committee for who wants to speak today on this list--not once.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

I opened the meeting with that.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

That's right, and then we went through the list that was already written down for you.