Evidence of meeting #33 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was reduction.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
All right. It would then read:
(2) In arriving at the opinion described in subsection (1), the competent minister shall consult with governments, international agencies and Canadian non-governmental organizations.
Is that acceptable to the Bloc?
It's acceptable to the Bloc.
That's what we've been talking about throughout most of this time, so I don't think we need any more discussion on it, do we?
Madam McDonough.
5:20 p.m.
NDP
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
I want to indicate that I'll be voting against it, and I want to urge others to do the same, because we will have lost the reference to Canadian civil society organizations, as John McKay pointed out.
But I want to make it clear that I'm voting to defeat it not because I'm not favourable to the inclusion of “governments”. If we defeat this, we can add the consultations with governments to the next amendment that's before us.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Caroline St-Hilaire Bloc Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
I merely want to be certain that we understand one another clearly. The subamendment of Mr. Goldring is in order; we agree with that, but I think we can also hear from and include civil organizations. I don't have a problem with that.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
How is Mr. Goldring with that, not that it's separate? He's all right with that too.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
What about the other one that I've added in, about official development assistance?
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
What it should come down to is that the only thing that members are voting on is the modifying phrase “shall take reasonable steps” versus “shall”. If you have a clear vote that way, then everybody will understand what they're doing.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
That's basically what we're taking out of the NDP motion. The Bloc doesn't want “reasonable steps”, they want “shall consult”, and we have then included “governments”.
Actually, maybe I'll just have legislative counsel read it, as he understands this.
5:25 p.m.
Procedural Clerk
As I understand it, we have a subamendment from Mr. Goldring to BQ-2, which everybody has on page 10 of the package. That would then read:
subsection (1), the competent minister shall consult with governments, international agencies and Canadian civil society organizations.
That's the subamendment.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
What then has happened to my friendly amendment to the NDP one, in calculating...? Are you prepared to do it afterwards? It has to attach itself to something.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Read it as amended with Mr. Goldring's amendment, including your—
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
I would add a subclause (3) that says “in calculating Canada's official development assistance”. You have it there.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
We can do that in a separate amendment. It doesn't take away from the NDP amendment, right?
For this complete one, John, “in calculating Canada's official developmental assistance contribution in Government”, etc., I think it can be done in a separate amendment. That's making this a little—
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
It was going to be part of the friendly NDP motion. I just want to be part of the friendly Bloc motion. We're friends here.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
I think we're going to call the question on the Bloc amendment, with the subamendment from Mr. Goldring, all right?
We'll call the question on the subamendment.
(Subamendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Now we're on that amendment as amended. Again, that would now read:
In arriving at the opinion described in subsection (1), the competent minister shall consult with governments, international agencies and Canadian civil society organizations.
(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
We now have made some headway here today, and we're just ready to leave.
