Subcommittee on Food Safety Committee on June 8th, 2009

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Chair, I have to ask why you are not putting that challenge to a vote immediately.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Anderson has a point of order on that.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

I had the floor, so I want to continue speaking, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

No, you called a point of order on Mr. Easter.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Easter is interrupting me continually. I'm trying to make some points here and he keeps interrupting me.

I'd like to go back to the fact that we have to have this thing in on or before June 11. It's fine that we're going to spend an hour here and have more witnesses, but it says specifically, if I can read the motion--

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Ms. Bennett has a point of order.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

How can she interrupt me if it's not debate?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

It's a point of order.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

You can't have a point of order. Mr. Easter just said you can't have one.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

It's a point of order. If you heard the clerk, the question on the challenge to the chair must be put forthwith--

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Then you can't have a point of order, so if I can read the motion--

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Yes. It's not debate. What it means is that we cannot listen to you anymore.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Madam Bennett, you challenged the chair on an issue. I asked for comment on that issue. If you go back and read the blues, it was to do with consent to continue the meeting, and Mr. Anderson asked to speak on that.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

The clerk has just said that he's not allowed to speak on it. The question must be put forthwith, so please, Mr. Chair, put the question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I think the question on that matter was dealt with because we came back to the matter that you wanted to do, which was to extend the meeting; I asked that question, and now we're speaking to that.

Go ahead, Mr. Anderson.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

It's interesting that the opposition began the debate on this issue, and now that we've started talking, they say there can't be any debate on it. They've had regular interruptions here for the last half hour. For some reason they can speak and they can interrupt--now another one is going to do that--and they just don't seem to want to let us have the floor.

I want to read the motion we passed at the agriculture committee. It is--

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

There is a point of order.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

Mr. Anderson, I am sorry for interrupting you, I know that it is very unpleasant.

I just heard the clerk's recommendations regarding what we have on the table. We should vote immediately to find out, without debate and without anyone taking up committee time, if we can have another round table with the people from the agency. Afterward, we can discuss our report.

Normally, the committee can sit until 10:00 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. Unfortunately, we are losing precious time. We should call for a vote immediately pursuant to the standing orders, as the clerk said.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

The clerk is getting me some information.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

That's fine. I think Mr. Bellavance has a good balance here with his suggestion that we do one round each. We will let the opposition have one round. That way we won't spend the entire hour, and they can ask their probing questions that way.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I'm going to deal with the challenge to the chair. There was a question that the clerk was looking up for me. Now we're going to vote on the challenge to the chair.

(Ruling of the chair overturned)

The suggestion is.... We have a point of order.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Are we here for one round, or are we here for an hour of questioning?

[A voice]

It's one round.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Why didn't you say that in the beginning?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Easter will start. The round is five minutes.