Ted.
Evidence of meeting #1 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was committees.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #1 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was committees.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ted Menzies Conservative Macleod, AB
I think that's a valuable comment. We all have a lot of different things on our minds, and to make sure that we don't miss a notice of a motion, and also to make sure that it's treated with respect.... We may have to call in witnesses, and 48 hours is a short enough time to bring in a witness, let alone any shorter time.
The other committees are running 48 hours, and I'd like to see us stay consistent with that.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Okay.
What I'm hearing is flexibility on 48 hours, but are there comments or questions on that?
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Yes, well, that's what we're saying—that it's the two-sleep rule. It gives a respect for—
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
A 48-hour notice would be required 36 hours in advance. That's what we're saying.
4:10 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
That's...what we're saying. It would be the same sort of thing.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Are we okay in terms of the Standing Orders? Elizabeth, are we okay for the Standing Orders? Could we change them? Can we do whatever we want?
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
My only caution with the 36 is you're running into the same thing; you've put a deadline. Surely we can say two sleeps, those being the two days, so...yes, 45 hours.
Let's entertain a motion one way or the other on this, and then we will—
Go ahead with your comments.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Chairman, I move that, instead of 48, we write 45. That would give us the interval of a committee meeting and the two sleeps that you brought up in your skilful argument. I think that will do it.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Mr. Chairman, allow me to comment on this subject. The 40 hours will be problematic when the committee finishes at around 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening and starts again at around 11:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. I think that the idea of 36 hours is more reasonable than that of 40 hours. Those 40 hours will cause problems.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
You see, then you'd get a notice at 3 a.m. of 36 hours. We're trying to avoid strict hours with, hopefully, the flexibility to say two days. I mean, that's what you're asking for—two sleeps, so that it's not the next day, but the day after.
Go ahead, Paul.
4:10 p.m.
Bloc
Paul Crête Bloc Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
If I had to vote on this, I would vote against 45 hours and in favour of 36 hours. That seems to address the condition I had established at the outset, that a motion be admissible on Thursday afternoon if we have had a meeting on Tuesday afternoon. The 36 hours makes this possible.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
I think I'd actually moved the 48 hours originally, Mr. Chair, but—
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
You could have. Maybe he did—did he? I'm sorry. Then we'll take that—
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
My point is that, not on this committee—I think we've worked pretty well on this committee—but on another committee, I moved a motion at the previous meeting I was at, and then we got it translated. At the meeting the francophone members were in favour of it; then, when they saw it translated, they weren't. It does take time to get things translated.
For the proper operation of government in general, I don't see why we're not required to bring the motion forward at one committee prior, so that if you're at the committee today and you want to do something on Thursday, you have to present it during this committee time period. That's why I think the 48 hours is reasonable. I actually think it's reasonable to require the notice to be on the table at the committee before it gets debated, so that we have 48 hours or a full committee period of time between two committees—
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Maybe that's the way around the hour clock. This is what Elizabeth just said to me. She said that if a motion has to be presented at a committee meeting, then it's the next committee meeting that would be the time to deal with it, whether it's 36 hours or 48.