Foreign Affairs Committee on Dec. 10th, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Good morning, colleagues.

This is meeting number 46 of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, on Thursday, December 10, 2009. Our orders of the day are to return to committee business. We welcome you here.

Mr. Goldring, I think when we last left, you had the floor.

[Peter Goldring, Conservative, Edmonton East, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I still have a few words I would like to say to express my concern about Mr. Dewar's motion. To bring everybody up to date, I'll read the motion put forward by Mr. Dewar:

That, in the context of its study on the treatment of Canadians abroad, the Committee report the following recommendations to the House of Commons calling on the government to:

Recognize its constitutional duty to protect Canadian citizens abroad;

Enact legislation to ensure the consistent and non-discriminatory provision of consular services to all Canadians in distress; and

Create an independent ombudsperson's office responsible for monitoring the government's performance and ordering the Minister of Foreign Affairs to give protection to a Canadian in distress if the Minister has failed to act in a timely manner.

I have concerns with this motion on multiple levels. I'm trying to review the Constitution. We want to follow through on the Constitution to be sure there is not a reference in there that Mr. Dewar is pointing out. I don't believe there is. In due course, we'll be able to go through the various papers that channel through to the Constitution.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

We have a point of order.

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Goldring is speaking about the motion of—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Just hang on here.

I always get the first little bit, but....

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Goldring is referring to Mr. Dewar's motion, but Mr. Dewar isn't here. Should we not move on to other topics and to my own motion?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

He is coming. But on the committee business, which was on the agenda for today, we can go back to that.

Thank you.

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Fine.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

We can do that without him here.

Continue, Mr. Goldring.

[Peter Goldring, Conservative, Edmonton East, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I repeat again that I have strong concerns about—

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I'm totally engrossed, as you can imagine, Mr. Goldring, but I'm just wondering if I can move to adjourn debate on this motion. It's pretty obvious what the government is doing.

[Peter Goldring, Conservative, Edmonton East, AB]

You....

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

It's not a real interest in—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I'm sorry, that's out of order.

A motion to adjourn debate is out of order, but you could withdraw your motion.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Why is it out of order?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I'll refer to the clerk.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I don't know our new clerk. Hi, how are you?

[Jacques Maziade, Procedural Clerk]

Good.

My name is Jacques Maziade.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Hi, Jacques.

[Jacques Maziade]

I'm replacing Carmen this morning.

You cannot put the question. You could do it in the House, but in committee you cannot.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

If it's the pleasure of the committee, we can do as we wish. I'm talking about the debate, to move to adjourn debate on the motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

You could withdraw your motion.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

We did that at the last committee meeting, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I'm told that if you wish to withdraw your motion, that's acceptable, but to adjourn debate, no. You need unanimous consent.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Let's go over the facts. You were saying I couldn't. Now I see we can if we have unanimous consent.