Environment Committee on June 9th, 2021

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Okay, I see that no—

Ms. Pauzé, do you have your hand up?

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.

I cannot let what happened before the meeting was suspended stand without saying something.

I want to make three things clear.

First, during the last vote, Ms. Saks was not able to vote. She even raised her hand when we were in the process of voting.

Was her vote recorded properly?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Are you referring to the vote on your amendment?

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

I'm referring to the vote on your ruling.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

You mean the ruling regarding the admissibility of [Technical difficulty—Editor].

Are you saying that her vote was not counted or that it should have been counted?

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

She raised her hand while we were voting. Did she vote? Was her hand up? Was her vote recorded?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

It was a recorded vote, was it not?

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Precisely.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Madam Clerk, was Ms. Saks's vote recorded?

[Émilie Thivierge]

Yes, I recorded it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

All right, then.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Okay.

Second, I do not understand why the Bloc Québécois's amendment was ruled inadmissible. The law clerks looked at it before it was included in the package.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I can't speak to that, because my opinion is based on the advice of the legislative clerks.

Regardless, a decision has been made. I ruled the amendment inadmissible.

You appealed the ruling, it was put to a vote, and my ruling was sustained.

What is the third point you wanted to raise, Ms. Pauzé?

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

My third point has to do with what you said about the amendment relating to money.

Subclause 21(1) of Bill C-12 reads as follows:The Governor in Council appoints the members of the advisory body on the recommendation of the Minister and fixes their remuneration.

All the Bloc Québécois's amendment would change is the wording “on the recommendation of the Minister”, replacing it with the wording “on the recommendation of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development”. Then, it goes back—

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

That is the crux of the problem. The fact that you are changing—

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Yes, but it does not require any more money.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The money is not at issue; the principle is. It relates to the government's prerogative to legislate on remuneration. As a committee, we cannot take it upon ourselves to exercise that prerogative; nor can the House of Commons. Therein lies the rub.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

My understanding was that the Governor in Council was more or less the same as the government. In our view, the Governor in Council is not the one who should make recommendations.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Your amendment takes away from the Governor in Council—

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair. Haven't we already voted on this ruling? Can we proceed with the meeting?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Yes, we have.

Unfortunately, Ms. Pauzé, that is the answer.

We must move on because the committee has dealt with the matter.

Where are we?

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

We're on CPC-18.

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair—

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

We're at CPC-18.

Mr. Albas, do you want to propose that?

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

I'm sorry. Whatever you said, Mr. Chair, was totally inaudible on the English channel.