Finance Committee on Nov. 21st, 2012

[An hon. member]

I would like a recorded vote, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

(Clause 303 agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Shall clause 304 carry?

[An hon. member]

I would like a recorded vote, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

(Clause 304 agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Shall clause 305 carry?

[An hon. member]

I would like a recorded vote, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

(Clause 305 agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Shall clause 306 carry?

[An hon. member]

I would like a recorded vote, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

(Clause 306 agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(On clause 307)

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Okay, we shall move to clause 307. We have three amendments: LIB-225, LIB-226, and LIB-227.

Your chair has a ruling.

Bill C-45 amends the Employment Insurance Act to continue the hiring credit for small business for 2012. This amendment, LIB-225, proposes to increase the threshold for the eligibility criteria so that more businesses would qualify for the refund. Additionally, consequential amendments—LIB-226 and LIB-227—would increase the size of those refunds, while still respecting the overall $1,000 limit.

House of Commons Procedure and Practice, second edition, states at pages 767 and 768:

Since an amendment may not infringe upon the financial initiative of the Crown, it is inadmissible if it imposes a charge on the public treasury, or if it extends the objects or purposes or relaxes the conditions and qualifications specified in the royal recommendation.

In the opinion of the chair, the amendment would significantly change the mechanisms of this refund, which would alter the terms and conditions of the royal recommendation. Therefore, I rule this amendment, LIB-225, inadmissible. Amendments LIB-226 and LIB-227 are also, in the opinion of the chair, consequential to this amendment and, therefore, also inadmissible.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Chairman, would you care to share that opinion in writing with the members of the committee, please?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Absolutely.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Do you have it now?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

That is my ruling.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I understand that, but either that or I'll ask you to read it again, because I want to see the link between amendment LIB-225 and the others. Do you have to negate one to get to the others, or are you just ruling them out of order entirely?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Amendments LIB-226 and LIB-227 are consequential to amendment LIB-225. As you know, a ruling on an amendment—

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Sorry, can I deal with this?

You can challenge the chair on my ruling, but—

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

No, before challenging, Mr. Chairman, I'd like to understand, because in our view, amendment LIB-225 is separate from the other two. The other two are linked, and we accept that, but we don't believe that amendments LIB-226 and LIB-227 are linked to amendment LIB-225.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Okay.

In the opinion of the chair, amendments LIB-226 and LIB-227 are consequential to amendment LIB-225. That's why I've made this ruling.

We have a difference of opinion on the matter. You can challenge the chair if you wish.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Is this advice that was given to you by the clerks?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

This was advice given to me by the clerks.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Was that clerks plural?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Yes. I don't mean all 27 clerks who have been working over the past few hours.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I understand that, but it could be two or three, I presume.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

We could ask for a vote of the clerks on this amendment.