Information & Ethics Committee on May 7th, 2024

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Go ahead, Mr. Barrett.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

There's a motion on the floor. Are you receiving additional motions while the committee is considering a motion?

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Mr. Barrett, I did go back to Ms. Damoff on this. I will come back to you.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

No, Chair, there's a motion on the floor. It's been put. You ruled it in order and notice was given. Notice was not given for the motion that you're now going to accept.

Further, I had the floor, and you gave Mr. Green the floor on a point of order. Unless we're—

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

He gave me the floor when he accepted the point of order.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Is it your ruling, then, that my motion is out of order?

I'll await your ruling.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Just hang on a sec, Mr. Barrett.

After clarifying with the clerk, Mr. Barrett, here's what happened. We were discussing, under committee business, the misinformation and disinformation study. You moved your motion, and I agreed with that.

Mr. Green raised a point of order. I accepted his point of order, because we were still discussing what Ms. Damoff had brought up.

Unfortunately, the decision I made dealt with Mr. Green's valid point of order, so the motion we'll be dealing with right now—I will come back to you on this other one—will be Ms. Damoff's motion on extending the meeting study.

Unfortunately, that's what occurred, Mr. Barrett.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

What is the...? She didn't move a motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

We were still in discussion. She effectively still had the floor on what Mr. Green had brought up, so—

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

But she actually did not have the floor.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Just challenge him, do the vote, and you can go back to your whip's office and [Inaudible—Editor] do the work.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

I made the decision, Mr. Barrett. If you don't agree with it, I will have to ask that you challenge it, because unfortunately for you, the decision was made.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

That's brutal.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Okay. Thank you.

Ms. Damoff, go ahead, please.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Chair, it's unfortunate that Mr. Barrett is so opposed to even having a discussion about continuing this study.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Hang on, Ms. Damoff. There's a point of order.

I think what Mr. Barrett was talking about was the procedural aspect of what had occurred. I've explained that already.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Correct, but if we're just accepting interventions when other people have the floor, let me make one.

Chair, it's not the substance of what Ms. Damoff is offering—

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

That's debate, Michael. That's not a point of order.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

But we're doing that now.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

No, we're not. Mine was a legitimate point of order, bro.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Chair, I will have to challenge your ruling. There's no standing order that you're using to dismiss the motion that was duly moved and ruled in order. It's not an acceptable precedent to set once a member is given the floor. There were no other speakers ahead of me. I was given the floor. I moved a motion for which notice had been given. If someone might maybe move a motion sometime in the future—well, they can't move that motion. It's dismissed. We're going to deal with someone else.

Therefore yes, I challenge your ruling.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

I'm going to accept the challenge, Mr. Barrett.

We will call the vote on my decision.

Go ahead, Madam Clerk.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Just before we go to the vote, could the clerk explain exactly what the motion is?

I know when it's challenging the chair, the yes-and-no voting can.... What exactly is the wording we're voting on?

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

The point we're voting on is Mr. Barrett challenging my decision as chair and my ruling on Mr. Green's point of order, which allowed the discussion to continue so that you could move your motion, Ms. Damoff.

That's what we're doing. If you don't agree with my ruling, you vote no. If you agree with my ruling, you vote yes.