Finance Committee on Oct. 3rd, 2024

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Because it was already raised in committee business before, I don't think 48 hours' notice is required. I think we can...and I'm happy to move a motion right now, then, that we seek an extension to consider that bill. I can't remember the number of the bill. I'm sorry, but I'm in Vancouver, so I don't have my file in front of me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

It's Bill C-365.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I move that we ask the House for an extension for Bill C-365.

To the clerk, is that 30 sitting days, or what is the extension that we generally get?

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Yes, it is 30 sitting days—that is correct.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I'll just speak briefly to my motion, if I might.

It's been sitting there. It's reasonable. I haven't had a chance, actually, to really look at the bill. If we don't do anything, it will be reported back unamended to the House. I don't think that's responsible since none of us have had a chance to look at the bill or even discuss it. I'm curious about my colleagues' views on the bill as well. I'm agnostic on it at this point. I haven't had a chance to take a position, but I think it's imminently reasonable that we take a little bit of time, which, again, I think we anticipated when we discussed committee business just a few weeks ago.

I move that motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, MP Davies.

I do have a speaking order. A motion has been moved for the extension on Bill C-365.

I have MP Ste-Marie and then MP Kelly, MP Baker and MP Chambers.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First, I would ask for unanimous consent to release the witnesses, given that their participation is over.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I think that's a great point.

We again want to thank our witnesses. You may exit. Thank you very much. Again, we appreciate your testimony in coming before committee.

Thank you.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Second, I will say that I am in favour of the committee considering Bill C‑365. I would not want it to be sent back to the House without being amended.

However, I am wondering about your decision, since I wonder whether there doesn't have to be 48 hours' notice for this kind of motion, so it can be debated fully. I would therefore like to have an opinion on this. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I will suspend for a second.

Thank you, MP Ste-Marie.

Yes, it would need 48 hours if it were not on the business at hand, but it is the business at hand, so it does not require the 48 hours.

Go ahead, Mr. Kelly.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

I have a point of order.

It is not the business at hand. The business at hand today was the pre-budget consultation. We were not meeting to discuss committee business. It would require notice, it not being the subject of today's meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, MP Kelly.

When I opened up discussion on Bill C-365, it became the committee business.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Do I have the floor, then? Am I next?

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

You are next. If MP Ste-Marie is finished, then you are next.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

I move that we adjourn debate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Mr. Clerk, go ahead.

(Motion negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

We're past our time now. I don't recall coming to an agreement that we would be past the time of this committee. We're past the time. Technically, the committee was ending at 5:30, and we haven't had unanimous consent to continue this committee. I'm not even sure if there are committee resources to continue with this conversation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

There are resources. We will continue. We are continuing with resources.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

The time is up at this committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We are continuing.

Now we have MP Kelly.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Look, we thought we were heading toward reporting this back. There was no plan during the time that we spent on committee business to include this. I'm disappointed that the parliamentary secretary, in the last 15 seconds of this meeting before its expected adjournment, chose to force through an extension to a bill that ought to be, by now, brought back to the House.

I wasn't on this committee during the previous time when this could have been studied, if it were a priority to study. On business, bills get priority, typically. I don't know what happened before I was here, but for this bill, it's time for it to go back to the House so that it can continue with the legislative process.

I'm disappointed that this is how this has come about. I guess we could just talk about this, if that's what we're going to do now, but it's time for this bill to be reported back. I'm very disappointed with the tactic of springing this by way of a sloppily delivered motion in the final seconds of witness testimony on a pre-budget consultation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, MP Kelly.

I have MP Baker next and then MP Chambers.

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

I have been on this committee for a few years now, and this is the first time that I remember the Conservatives not wanting to study one of their own pieces of legislation.

I think what we have is the members saying that they'd like to study it and consider it before it goes back to the House. I think that's a very reasonable position.

That's all I have to say.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, MP Baker.

I have MP Chambers, MP Gray and then MP Davies.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Colleagues, we already agreed, last meeting, to what I think was a reasonable compromise amongst all competing interests, with the exception of Mr. Davies, who actually I don't think got anything in the last negotiation we had. That was, I had thought, an opportunity to buy a little peace for a bit.

There's no reason we have to force a decision today. Why don't we all just take a break, reflect on it over the weekend and come back on Tuesday with a proper motion? Maybe it's not 30 days. Maybe it's 20. Maybe it's a week, but I don't think we need to try to decide this today. Frankly, given the fact that we had a fairly good working relationship last meeting, I'm not really sure that having people cancel flights on a Thursday night to sit here and do it...because that's what some of us are prepared to do here now. I've just found out when the next flight is.

If we'd like to keep going around and around, we can continue to do that. We thought we had negotiated the next couple of months out pretty well. It now looks like the government is trying to change the deal we made last week. I'll leave my remarks there in case they persuade anybody. Unless you want to start bringing in the bullpen, we're prepared to continue to talk about it. Let's just figure it out on Tuesday when we come back.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.