Evidence of meeting #114 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was see.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
Let's just be clear here.
Garnett, you asked to challenge the chair. You can't challenge the chair. I'm executing a motion that was passed by the committee. It's not challengeable. I'm executing what the committee decided.
You can't challenge the chair on that.
Conservative
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
Guys, we're going back to what we were doing.
I'm executing the decision of the committee.
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
I can't even move a motion to suggest we hear from officials?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
No.
We're in the middle of a voting process that was agreed to by committee.
We're in the middle of a vote.
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Okay, I'd like to raise a question of privilege then.
I think this is a violation of my privileges at this point. As a member of this committee I should be able to move a motion to suggest to the committee that we proceed in a proper fashion. I'm not being allowed to....
Liberal
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
Madam Chair, this is out of order. The member can bring this to the House of Commons if he'd like.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
You're right. I can, but this is the proper process, to move it here first. I'm not even being allowed to move a motion to make a suggestion to the committee about us proceeding in a proper way with respect to this legislation, which would involve us actually being able to consult with departmental officials about how we proceed with amendments.
This is a massive and highly consequential piece of legislation. The way the government seems to think that it can rush this through with such limited discussion, with no discussion on these substantive amendments, is I think something that Canadians on all sides of this issue would find totally unpalatable. We're sent here to do the very serious work of actually analyzing and discussing the content of this legislation, yet we're going through this process where you're putting forward amendment after amendment that people barely have time to do anything on, some of which are table dropped with no engagement of the officials. This is unprecedented. This is not what anybody expected or promised.
It doesn't matter how—
Liberal
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
Madam Chair, I have a point of order.
This is merely dilatory. He's trying to slow down the process. He has not read the bill.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
I'm going to take control of the committee.
Garnett has brought forward a question of privilege. It's up to me to decide whether his privileges are being denied. There's a motion that was adopted by committee.
I understand your point. I don't agree with it. We have a motion that was moved by committee. It was not challenged at the time that we moved that motion. I am executing that motion.
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
We need a qualification. It was passed by the majority of the committee.
NDP
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
I will now put it to committee. I personally do not feel it is an issue, but I'll put it to committee as a question of privilege of committee.
I don't feel there has, but if the committee feels there has been, then we would have to agree to do a report to the House. That's done by a vote.
I hear his complaint, his question of privilege. I'm suggesting I don't believe that there is one, but it's up to the majority of the committee. If you feel that there is, then we would draft a report.
Does the committee feel that there's a breach of privilege?
