Evidence of meeting #1 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 39th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
Mr. Chair, I believe that this is a standard routine motion. Just because it wasn't on the papers that were presented to us at the table, I do believe that this is a routine motion and it is completely within order at this committee meeting.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning
This is not on the list that was presented to us today because it was not on our list in our previous sitting as a committee. The motion has come forward from Mr. Kamp. The question has been raised by Mr. Lévesque with regard to a previous motion that we had regarding translation. I guess it will be the decision of the committee whether we want to go forward. The committee would have to go along with accepting this as an addition today. But as Mr. Lévesque pointed out, we just adopted a motion earlier about a 48-hour notice. It would have to be a decision of the committee to go around that.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
That would make every motion that we discussed before that motion out of order.
Liberal
Gerry Byrne Liberal Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL
The Standing Orders, Mr. Chair, do require, I understand, for routine motions to be considered. However, this would not be considered routine. This would be considered non-routine because, as the clerk has pointed out, this committee has never had a specific motion guiding the committee on the issuance of annexes or dissenting reports.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning
It's in addition to what we have been working with for the past couple of years, really.
Mr. Kamp.
Conservative
Randy Kamp Conservative Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC
The way I understand the Standing Orders is that a motion relating to matters at hand does not require notice. The matters at hand are the routine proceedings of this committee. This seems well within that purview. I don't see how this requires 48 hours' notice.
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning
When we're dealing with matters at hand we're trying to set the course for where we're going here now. These were put forward to us today for this discussion. We've changed some of the old ones and we have adopted some new ones. Again, it's not, as such, a decision of whether we want to accept the motion put forward or whether we can defer it until we get it in both official languages. It's not something we have to stick to today in regard to the rules because it's basically a baptism here today, to get this thing started.
Mr. Matthews.
Liberal
Bill Matthews Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL
I respect the opinions of all parties, Mr. Chairman. I think in the interest of congeniality that this committee has demonstrated over the years—and we do get along very well—it would be best to come back and deal with this probably at our next meeting, after due notice, when we have it in both official languages.
I'm looking at it translated here, but it wasn't dealt with in the same way as the other routine motions were, where it was in both official languages. I have a copy somewhere—I don't know where it came from—where it is translated, but I would suggest that we deal with it at a later date. That's not going to cause the committee to not function. We're not close to having a report completed yet. So let's come back and do it in a proper manner with due notice and when duly translated would be my suggestion.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I believe ultimately that what we're discussing here today is a matter at hand. In the interest of congeniality, and I understand where Mr. Matthews is coming from, as a new parliamentarian who has only been serving on committees for a short time and on a small number of committees, this has been a matter of routine motions that are discussed. I don't think this is a secret or a blind-sighting type of motion that should be taking any parliamentarian at this table off his guard. Simply put, this is typical in most other routine committee motions. It's one that I've seen certainly in other committees I've been at. I would hope that other members of this committee would have seen it in other committees as well.
Because the matter is at hand, Mr. Chair, I believe you have to make a decision as to whether or not the motion is in order. The mover of the motion is no longer in the room right now. I don't believe he is able to withdraw the motion, so we have to deal with it and discuss the motion.
Bloc
Yvon Lévesque Bloc Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC
Mr. Chairman, we are more than prepared to vote on his motion, but unfortunately, he is exposing himself to defeat, because we do not have the text of the motion in both official languages in front of us. He will not be able to table it again. We are proposing that he withdraw it today and send a notice of motion, so that we can discuss it at a future committee meeting.
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
We can do it next time; there's no rush. You can withdraw....
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Just for my clarification for later on, if the clerk can't answer that question now, maybe he could get back to us at a later date regarding the 72-hour presentation of reports—but not now, later on.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
Mr. Chair, given that I proposed a unanimous consent of the committee to withdraw the motion—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning
No, that was supposed to be postponed. The motion still lays there, and in the spirit of cooperation any motion that we didn't bring forward I think we all should agree should be brought forward in both official languages in due time. I think that would further the work of the committee from getting bogged down with something of that nature. So basically we're not going to withdraw the motion.
Go ahead, Mr. Blais.
Bloc
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
I will try to be as clear as possible. The members of the Conservative Party have chosen to introduce this motion today. In the end, I do not mind putting it to a vote today. It could have been tabled today or tomorrow, and it would have had a better chance of being adopted tomorrow. However, since it was tabled today, we are going to vote on it today.