Finance Committee on May 29th, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

MP Genuis, I've already ruled.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

You haven't even heard what I've had to say, Chair. You haven't let me finish a sentence, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I've already ruled that we are [Inaudible—Editor].

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

No. You haven't let me finish a sentence—

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Is this a point of order, MP Blaikie?

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I'm trying to raise a point of order, and you've said it's debate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Is it on the same point of order?

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Suspend for question period, Chair.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

It's on the same point of order, Mr. Chair.

It seems to me, and folks can correct me if I'm wrong, that what we have is a dispute arising from a question of whether the whips are in power to decide these things. As a matter of fact, I think they are and have done things like this before. However, the other side of that is whether it's the will of the committee to sit through question period or not.

I would be happy to provide unanimous consent for a vote on whether we suspend or not. I will be voting to carry on through question period. We tried to have an agreement to lump some clauses together to represent the time lost for question period. That failed. I am in support of sitting through question period. I'm happy to vote on whether to suspend or not. I will vote against suspending.

If that helps clear this up so that we can end this disorder and return to the business at hand, I'm happy to do that. Let's find a path forward. I'm not interested in sitting through this for the next hour or so.

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

I request a recorded vote, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

There's a point of order from MP Ste-Marie.

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

Mr. Chair, in my understanding of the standing orders, the committee must obtain the unanimous consent of its members in order to continue its meeting during question period.

I'd like to get some clarification from the clerk on that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Wait one moment, MP Ste-Marie. We did not have translation.

Can we test translation? Does everybody have translation?

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

I'll keep talking so we're sure everyone has access to the interpretation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We're going to allow MP Lawrence to switch his mike.

Wait one moment, MP Ste-Marie. MP Lawrence is switching his microphone.

Can you speak, MP Ste-Marie, en français?

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

Mr. Chair, in my understanding of the standing orders, the committee must obtain the unanimous consent of its members in order to continue its meeting during question period.

I'd like the clerk to confirm my interpretation of the standing orders.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Wait one moment, MP Ste-Marie.

We're going to suspend for a second.

MP Ste-Marie, you're correct. It's when the bells are ringing. When the bells are ringing, we would need UC.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

I can't hear. It's a point of privilege. Give me something here.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

I have a point of order before you suspend.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We're going to suspend to fix the technical difficulty that we have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We're back.

I understand the technical issues have been dealt with.

I am going to ask MP Ste-Marie...because MP Lawrence was having some challenges with his mike and the interpretation. On that note, on the interpretation, and on the members in here, for MP Genuis to turn on his phone and put on some kind of recording and then start blasting the interpreters and...the health and safety of the staff and members here in this room, that is completely unacceptable.

MP Genuis, your mike will be turned off. You cannot do this. You are hurting people. You should know better. After all the years here you should know better than to do what you did. I would hope that everybody in the room would feel the same way and that you don't do that again.

MP Genuis, please...decorum and respect. Please abide by the rules.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I hope I'll have the opportunity to respond to that on a point of order, Chair, but I welcome Mr. Ste-Marie to go next—

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

No, we're going to MP Ste-Marie's point of order.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I will have a point of order later.