Fisheries Committee on Feb. 5th, 2014

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

That's right.

[An hon. member]

Nice try, Lawrence.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I'm sharper than I thought.

The only thing is that if I am removed from the second round, then basically I have one turn. That's mostly what will happen. There could be an odd time, if I lead on the third round, that the chair might...or if I end the second round. It could happen. But if not, then basically it's one round for the Liberals and that's it. It would be a bit unfair.

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC]

But we gave you an extra three minutes—

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

That's on the first round.

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC]

It went from seven to ten, and there's nobody for you to split that with.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Mr. Chisholm.

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

We've not only given you three more minutes, Lawrence, but it's common among the other committees for the Liberals not to be in the second round. That's the practice. We're not cutting the Liberals off; we're giving them a little more and moving them to the next round.

The proposal that Randy raised about shortening the second round is an interesting one. I mean you're giving up 10 minutes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

It's five.

Mr. MacAulay.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

It's all right to talk about the other committees, but this fisheries committee has been more than cordial, more than accommodating over the years. All of us had a spurt, even the governing party, where I.... I would ask you to be a little considerate before you make your final decision. You need to leave me in the second round. I think it's fair. I've been on fisheries, when I haven't been in the ministry, from the time I came here, and this is the first time the likes of this has happened. Just consider fairness, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you, Mr. MacAulay.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

If you end the third round with me on it, that's fair, but I think you have to give me the second round. If not, I'm not in it. You can say the third round, but 90% of the time we'll have no third round.

Sure we've had differences around here the odd time, but really not. This has been a very cordial affair.

And I hate getting the shaft.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

To your point, Mr. MacAulay, yes, I don't recall us having a third round in any questioning here.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

That's right, Mr. Chair. Essentially, I'm off.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

I would just add that comment, that I don't remember us having a third round. I'll just throw that out.

Is there anything further on that?

Yes, Mr. MacAulay.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

All I'll say is that if you leave me on the second round, on the end, with five minutes, then I do have more than one turn. If you go to the third round, I'm out.

That's the decision. I'm sitting here, myself...but it's a decision the committee has to make.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Mr. Chisholm.

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Just a second, I have to wipe away some tears here.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

No, I'm doing no—

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Lawrence, listen. I haven't been around as long as you have, but I've been at this game a little while. My understanding is that when the NDP was the third party, regardless of who was in government, there wasn't necessarily a tendency to be so fair.

All I'm trying to do is to balance things out a little bit better than I think they have been. I think we're talking a matter of a couple of minutes. I don't think we're generating much of a hardship. The big round is the first round of 10 minutes, and I think that makes a big difference.

Before it would have been 12 minutes out of two rounds, right? Instead, the Liberals are getting 10 minutes, which is two minutes less. I don't call that a hardship.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Ms. Davidson.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Maybe Mr. Chisholm can answer this question, or maybe Georges can.

Several times there's been a reference to other committees that have done this. What other committees have done it, and how did they do it?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Do you want to try to address that, Mr. Clerk?

[The Clerk]

Sure.

I don't have the specifics, but most of my colleagues have reported back in our meetings that most committees have dropped one NDP member and one Conservative member in the second round. Most of the time the Liberals don't have a second round; they are not into the second round.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you, Georges.

Is there anything further?

Mr. MacAulay.