Evidence of meeting #26 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was region.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
I'll call the meeting to order.
We want to thank the witness for coming forward.
We're going to be dealing with a private member's bill, but prior to doing that there are a couple of quick things we have to do, housekeeping issues. One is we are about to vault ourselves into a study on taxation, and there's a budget here. Has it been passed around?
3:35 p.m.
A voice
Yes.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
It's been passed around.
We'll entertain a motion to move it.
Mr. Wallace has moved to put it on the floor and open debate on the budget.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
The motion is to move the budget that you have in front of you. I think it's $37,350.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
To bring forward the witnesses to vault us into the study on taxation.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Yes, it is. We don't have to go to the liaison committee as long as it's under $40,000, so it's a housekeeping issue.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
No, but is this to have the witnesses come from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Moncton?
3:35 p.m.
A voice
Yes. We need money to pay expenses.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
All right.
We'll entertain the vote on the motion. Is everybody clear about it?
(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
I know it's easy for some of the Conservatives to spend money.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
We have one other motion we would like to present.
If you two have anything further to discuss you need to do it outside, but if you're at the table I wish you'd pay attention to the business of the committee.
This is a motion with regard to a private member's bill. I talked to the mover, and he wanted to examine whether he can bring forward another amendment, one he didn't want us to look at at this time. We have the option to ask for a 30-day extension. So it's a 30-day extension on the private member's bill, Bill C-305.
We have the motion. Mike moves it.
Now we'll open debate on that motion with Mr. Pacetti.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
I think we're going to be opposed to this bill. We're ready to vote on it and just refuse it and we can save some time at the committee level also.
I say I'm ready to vote it down. We can either debate it or we can go directly to the vote. I'm ready to vote.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
My reason for moving it—based on your explanation, and I want it again, if I can have it—is the mover of the motion wants more time to look at an amendment or who wants to do the amendment.
This bill came in front of us months and months ago, I believe. Did it not?
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
I agree. This was before my time in the chair, but I understand you have had the mover in front of you. We are prepared to go to clause-by-clause on that. I don't think we need the mover of this here.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Just a second.
This is a motion we have put here to give us more time if we want it, but it's certainly the prerogative of the committee to do what it would like. With that, it's up to the mover.
Mr. Pacetti.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
We don't have a choice. We have to vote on this. It's either up or down. We've already seen witnesses. We even had this bill in front of committee in the previous Parliament, so it's not something new. If there is an amendment, he should have brought it forward before we had witnesses. I don't think anybody on either side of the table was in favour of this. We're just wasting our time. We can just vote on it on division and refuse it. It's up to the committee, but I don't think we have to debate it. I think we've already addressed this in the past.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Okay.
We have a motion on the floor. We will either vote for or against the motion, and that's what we're doing, just to clarify.
Mr. Laforest.