Evidence of meeting #25 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.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
4:05 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Mr. Cullen, you can remove that motion and we can get back to the amended clause 10, and hopefully clauses 11, 12, and 13, or we can debate your motion, with this speaking order.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
As you and I have discussed, both here at committee and in other places, my respect for your chairmanship of this committee is of the highest order. The motion that was moved earlier was not done out of any attack on your abilities or your control of this committee.
Mr. Warawa has asked me—I think he's asked me—to remove this motion of time limitation. The place the motion of time limitation came from was five weeks of filibustering by the government, of taking the bill hostage and not allowing anything to proceed. I don't know whether he has the courage to actually ask me straight up. Is he asking me to remove the motion or not?
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Mr. Cullen, I believe you have your question period type of answer. I think what you need to do is decide yourself, and I really don't want any debate on this. You either withdraw or you don't withdraw—yes or no—and let's move on.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
With what I sense is no assurance from the government at all to actually deal with the bill and break the logjam, I can't remove this motion.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Okay, we're at that motion, then, to limit the speaking times to two minutes. That's the motion.
We have Mr. Watson, who is the first on the speaking list, as determined previously. We have Mr. Watson, Mr. Warawa, Mr. McGuinty, Mr. Bigras, Mr. Cullen, Mr. Vellacott, and Mr. Godfrey. These are the persons I have on the speaking list. We can, of course, add others to this speaking list as we move along. So I'm calling for any other names and will call any other names when I get to Mr. Godfrey.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Yes, I have you on the list after Mr. Bigras.
Mr. Watson, the floor is yours-- and please, to speak on the motion we're discussing, not on clause 10. We're talking about the motion to limit time to two minutes for each member.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Jeff Watson Conservative Essex, ON
More specifically, can you read the motion back? I believe it's two minutes per member per clause, not just two minutes per member.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
I'll just read what we are debating, and I will ask people to please stay on topic. I'll read this so that everybody is clear.
The motion Mr. Cullen is making is “That there be a maximum time limit of two minutes' debate per member of Parliament on each remaining clause and part of Bill C-377”. “Part” means the title and all the front part of Bill C-377. That's two minutes per clause and per part of clause, which of course are clauses 1 and 2, title, and so on.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I have just a procedural thing, Chair, before Mr. Watson gets his engines running. Is there any way to allow some air into the room? I have a feeling we're going to be here for a number of hours with this filibuster, and we have more than the usual number of guests.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
You might want to pre-order some dinner for us, because I expect this might be a while.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC
On a point of privilege, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. McGuinty has a kind of... I do not know what he calls it. Does he have the right to place things on the edge of his desk, especially when we are talking about a debate and not a filibuster. This is a personal accusation.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
It's not privilege.
Mr. McGuinty, I think you realize we can't use props either in committee or in the House.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Mr. Chair, the last three times the Minister of the Environment has shown up in this committee, where he made a complete fool of himself, he used overhead props on an regular basis. I want to go back to your wording, Mr. Chair, to respond--
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
At the last meeting we had, you said, Mr. Chair--may I quote back--
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Could we turn off the microphone, please?
Mr. McGuinty, we want to move forward. I hope at some point we're going to do that. I am probably getting as frustrated as anyone. I don't think having antagonistic props moves us forward.
Now, I am as hopeful as everybody else that we're going to move forward.
