Evidence of meeting #5 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 countries.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
We will first hear debate on Mr. Warawa's motion and then we'll proceed to the motion of Mr. Bigras.
Please go ahead, Monsieur Bigras.
5:30 p.m.
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
I move to reverse the order of the motions. In fact, I move that we start with the motion tabled by the Bloc Québécois.
5:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
Thank you, Mr. Bigras. You've moved to reverse the order of the motions.
The clerk advises me that we adopted at the last meeting a procedure by which we would deal with motions in the order they were brought forward, so is this motion to reverse in order?
The clerk advises me that it would require unanimous consent.
Go ahead, Mr. Bigras.
5:30 p.m.
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
I have just tabled a motion, which is a change to the agenda. A change to the agenda should not be debatable nor discussable, and we should therefore call the question immediately.
I would like to ask the clerk a question.
5:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
Apparently, that is not the way to proceed.
Are we ready for a vote?
You may speak with the clerk if you wish, but for the moment, we are studying Mr. Warawa's motion.
You have another point of order?
5:30 p.m.
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Point of order. That is not our interpretation. We are ready to challenge your decision, Mr. Chairman.
I ask that you call the question on my motion.
5:30 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Mr. Chair, this is the point of order. I'm speaking to the point of order raised by Mr. Bigras.
Mr. Chair, the motion that I made a couple of minutes before, at about 5:27, was a motion that was moved and seconded and is now on the table. Mr. Chair, you continued to permit some discussion that may or may not have been relevant to that motion, but I permitted it. I was totally fine with that because it was somewhat relevant to the motion, but in fact there is a motion on the table. Now, we can only deal with one motion at a time. That motion could be amended; it could be amended in an amendment of the amendment; we could go on and on, but Mr. Chair, the fact is we have a motion on the table already.
What Mr. Bigras is talking about in his point of order is not relevant to what has happened. We have a motion already on the table, so it's not which motion goes first; we already have a motion on the table. We first procedurally have to deal with the motion that's on the table, and then Mr. Bigras's motion could be dealt with.
Now, if Mr. Bigras were to ask me to remove my motion, then procedurally, if I agreed to do that, we could deal with his motion, but I don't want to remove my motion, so we first have to deal with the motion that's on the floor.
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
We'll deal with the motion on the floor. Is there any further debate on the motion on the floor?
Go ahead, Mr. Bigras.
5:35 p.m.
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Mr. Chairman, I would like to know if you maintain your decision. If you maintain your decision, I would like to remind you that I moved to challenge your decision. It is not debatable, it cannot be discussed, and we must proceed.
I want to remind you that it is a change in the agenda.
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
Yes, that is right.
Mr. Bigras is correct. Therefore, he has challenged my decision that we proceed, and therefore, we will do a vote—
5:35 p.m.
Conservative
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
It's immediate. He is correct that having challenged my decision is not debatable; therefore, we vote on the challenge. That means that if you support my decision, you will vote in favour. You'll vote against the challenge.
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
The question is that I can't reverse the order.
So those in favour of sustaining my decision—
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
No, I'm sorry, I'll try to be clear. If it's not clear, let me know.
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
I haven't given you the question yet.
Those in favour of sustaining my decision that the order is not reversible, please raise your hand. That would be you guys. Do you want to support that the order is not reversible—in other words, that your motion would go first?
5:35 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Mr. Chair, that is the clarification I want; and actually, my question, through you to the clerk, would be, is there a motion on the table right now?
We're not talking about reversing motions. Is there a motion on the table now? That's my question.
5:35 p.m.
A voice
Yes, there is.
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
In effect, he's also challenging my decision to move forward with your motion first.
5:35 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
We already have a motion on the floor. We're not talking about which motion should go first.
