Evidence of meeting #38 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
I will apologize to you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Bittle is exactly right. I didn't have my hand up. Also, with regard to his point of order, I believe you didn't recognize him, so what I would simply suggest, Mr. Chair, is that the lag in this case was about five seconds, not the usual two or three seconds. I did have my hand up. I was prepared to speak to it, Mr. Chair, and unfortunately, because the translation didn't come in, that's a problem.
I think the onus—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Going forward, I'll give enough time, but at some point, people have to be proactive.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Mr. Chair, if you don't mind my finishing my statement, and then I'm happy to hear what you have to say.
To say that the onus is on the individual member, when we simply.... When I had my hand up, and when I voiced earlier that I wanted to speak, I can't understand how it could be done any differently.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
I'm not referring to your last intervention. I'm saying that going forward the onus is on the member, if they want to speak, to put their hand up. That's all I'm saying.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
I would just hope though, Mr. Chair, that we would avoid these kinds of problems—
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
—by listening to one another. However, I appreciate that this is a difficult thing to chair when you have it virtual.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
The vote is called, and no one seems to want to speak to it.
(Clause 18 agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)
(On clause 19)
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
We'll now move on to clause 19.
Ms. Michaud, the same logic applies to amendment BQ‑17. Given the committee's decision on amendment BQ‑15, there's a lack of consistency. Amendment BQ‑17 becomes null and void.
We'll now vote on clause 19. Would anyone like to comment on clause 19?
Ms. Michaud, you have the floor.
Bloc
Kristina Michaud Bloc Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm taking note of the fact that the same logic applies.
I want to tell you that, starting from clause 20, my colleague Ms. Pauzé will be taking over.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
That's fine. Thank you.
We'll now vote on clause 19.
(Clause 19 agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)
(On clause 20)
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
We'll now move on to clause 20. I'm pleased to ask Ms. May to move her amendment, PV‑25.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Before you speak, I must inform you that, if amendment PV‑25 is passed, amendments BQ‑18 and NDP‑14 will become null and void. We won't be able to vote on those amendments.
Ms. May, you have the floor.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I have to say that this is the most dispiriting process of clause-by-clause that I've experienced in many years. Usually amendments are actually considered, people actually debate them and there is a good-faith process. I'm going to make a short statement and then I'm going to ask, because I cannot remove my own amendments, in the interest of time and in an effort to have this bill get to the Senate, where perhaps there will be a good-faith effort to amend it....
I condemn this government for what it has done: for telling people like me, who believed in good faith that there would be an actual appetite for change to improve the bill and who accepted it and prepared amendments, only to show up here and watch Liberals stay mute, the NDP stay mute and march through their amendments, passing them in force, and not listening and not caring about the possibility that other amendments might work.
I urge you to change your conduct. I urge you to consider Madam Pauzé's amendments.
Because I don't have the power to remove my own amendments, I will remove my amendments if you will do the job for me, Mr. Chair, in the interest of time and under protest against the process this committee has entered into—not the committee but the backroom deal that no amendments shall pass unless they're Liberal or NDP and do nothing but tweak the bill with small improvements. I don't want to stand in the way of getting this thing done, and I now ask the chair to support the Bloc amendments and remove PV-25, PV-26, PV-27, PV-28, PV-29, PV-30 and PV-31.
Shame on you.
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
This is interesting.
Ms. May, your amendment is deemed moved by the fact of having sent it to the clerk. If you want to withdraw amendment PV-25, you would have to ask for unanimous consent.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Chair, it has been the case that in the past in other committees when I suggested that the amendment that is deemed moved can be deemed by the chair to have been removed, I've never heard before that it required unanimous consent. I think Mr. Albas's suggestion earlier that the various backroom people who've engineered this motion that I have to observe in every committee....
In this case, since it would be all in one go, because these are all amendments that relate to the process of the advisory committee becoming independent and expert, again, it would certainly save the committee a lot of time if you accept my word for it that you can deem these amendments removed—PV-25, PV-26, PV-27, PV-28, PV-29, PV-30 and PV-31—rather than seeking unanimous consent each time, but that's for you to determine.
I will wait for PV-32 before taking the floor again.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Okay, just a second. You'll have to excuse me. This is a bit of uncharted territory.
Ms. May, both of the legislative clerks have never heard of this notion of the chair withdrawing the motions for you. What I've been told is that you can ask for unanimous consent to remove the five amendments.
Could you repeat it? I think it's PV-25 through to PV-30...or is PV-31 in there too?
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
I will repeat again: It comes to seven amendments that I am removing in one go.
If you want to seek unanimous consent, then I would be asking for all of my amendments that relate to what is now a not independent, appointed-by-the-minister multi-stakeholder committee..... My attempts are not identical, by any means, but sufficiently similar to the Bloc Québécois' attempts, that I would prefer, in order to save time and help this committee along, that Madam Pauze's amendments be accepted.
However, my amendments are from PV-25 through PV-31 inclusive. That's seven amendments.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Thanks.
My request to the committee is on whether there is unanimous consent to remove seven Green Party amendments, PV-25 to PV-31.