Evidence of meeting #1 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 39th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
But now that you have the floor, you can certainly move an amendment, yes.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to amend the motion, as it's written, to state that 48 hours' notice be required—change 24 to 48—and then continue it as is. Additionally, I'd like to add the following: “and that the period of notice shall be calculated from the time the motion has been distributed to the members of the committee by the clerk of the committee”.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
It was that the period of notice be calculated from the time the motion has been distributed to the members of the committee by the clerk.
Mr. Chair—
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
I'd like to move this motion because, as has already been stated by some of my colleagues, for us to work effectively and amicably on this committee, we want to avoid the situation in which we're ambushed by emotions. We want to have the time to do a reasonable amount of research and prepare for these motions, and I think 48 hours is a reasonable amount of time. As my colleague has indicated, it gives us an opportunity to address an issue at the following meeting, whenever that might be, and it's worked well in other committees.
In terms of the additional sentence, there have been instances in the past in which the clock has started ticking despite the fact that the clerk may not have distributed a motion, and that prevented members from having adequate time to prepare. This just clarifies exactly when the clock starts.
Liberal
Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS
Well, I don't see the reason for these changes. In my experience with parliamentary committees, the clerks have been diligent in getting the motions out, and the time of having it deposited with the clerk works quite well. Generally speaking, the member who is putting a motion forward and who has sent a copy to the clerk is usually—if he is looking for support from other parties—notifying the other parties, so I don't think there's a problem there. I don't think that side of the amendment has any valid argument.
On the question of the 24 hours or the 48 hours, I have a hard time seeing what the difference is, because the 24 is, in effect, 48 with the meetings being every second day. Now, there could be some times when you'd have additional sittings in those periods, and that 24 would come into play there at that time, but when that happens, the members are quite engaged and they're not surprised by any of those motions; they are around the table to discuss and they are following the subject, so I would believe 24 hours is plenty of time to have the discussion among the parties and do the studies. That amount of time has worked well in the past. I don't see the compelling reason to change that rule.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The reasoning here is that if a motion is not presented at a meeting, but after a meeting—let's say the day after a meeting—it could be giving 24 hours or less for somebody to address an issue, to prepare for an issue, to research an issue in advance of the next meeting. It's quite possible that although we meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, somebody would not give notice of a motion on a Tuesday but on a Wednesday, and that would limit the amount of time that members would have to address the issue.
There is nothing sinister about this intent. It's simply trying to give members—all members from all parties—an opportunity to prepare adequately, so that we can be effective in the work we want to accomplish here at this committee.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
If I may, I'd like to ask the clerk, so that all members will understand what does happen and what could happen when members want to have a motion come before a committee. I'd ask the clerk if he would just give us the words of wisdom as to how things operate right now.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Richard Rumas
Mr. Chair and members, the normal practice—and most members are quite diligent about this—is that they submit electronically to my office a copy of the notice of motion that they would like to bring to the attention of the committee. We'd normally ask that it be in both official languages so that there is no delay in my office in distributing electronic copies to the members of the committee. That's how the process works.
Once that is done, if a notice period is met, it is put on the agenda for the next meeting--not as the main issue of the committee, because the committee may be dealing with supplementary estimates or something, but it will become the second item on the agenda and it will be dealt with.
That's the normal practice, and I can say that in the last session we experienced no difficulty with it.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
That's clear; you don't have to go to a committee and move a motion, and that's going to start the clock. You can do it at your leisure.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
We understand that, and it has to be circulated to members promptly by the clerk, which I know happens.
Okay. Is there further debate here? Seeing none, I'm going to--
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Oh, okay. I'm sorry. You have my apologies, Mr. Martin. Please go ahead.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I just wanted to add that I also speak against making this change in when the clock begins, and also the idea of moving from 24 to 48 hours. Twenty-four hours was always something we fought for in this committee, and there was good reason: it's because it's in the interests of committee members to be able to get a motion on at the next committee. Sometimes if there is a matter of urgency and if you're only meeting twice a week, it can sometimes mean four or five days before you can actually get it before the committee.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Yes, it does raise an interesting question, colleagues, about whether or not scheduled work of the committee is going to be pre-empted by these motions. Quite frankly, in my experience, committees try to accommodate motions that have just come before the committee and to make reasonable accommodation, but not to suspend committee business in the middle of it, etc. It's a practice that changes from committee to committee. But we do have the right to seek unanimous consent to waive the notice period if there is a matter that all honourable members would like to deal with immediately and suspend all other business. So we have full latitude, and I think everyone is well aware of the tools we have to work with. There doesn't seem to have been difficulty in the first session, but we can always reconsider if necessary. Okay?
Having said that, Mr. Hiebert has an amendment that says that the period of notice shall be calculated from the time the motion has been distributed to the members of the committee by the clerk.
Is that correct?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Oh, and it's 48 hours. My apologies, colleagues. It's two-pronged—to change it to 48 hours' notice, and that the period of notice be calculated from the time the motion has been distributed to the members of the committee by the clerk.
Is everyone clear on the amendment being proposed by Mr. Hiebert? I see some nods around the table, so I'm going to put the question on the amendment.
(Amendment negatived)
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
We are now back at the motion as it was printed on our paper before us. I see no further amendments, so I'm going to put the question on that motion.
(Motion agreed to)
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Thank you, colleagues.
I think we had some good discussion there. It's constructive, and I think we should continue that dialogue.
Now, Mr. Martin.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Chairman, I'm wondering, now that we're properly constituted and we're finished the mandatory orders of the day, if I might ask for unanimous consent for a motion that I would like to read to you.