Evidence of meeting #16 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was children.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I believe that would have to wait.
The only thing we can amend now is the amendment that I made as a subamendment.
You can amend my amendment, but I don't think that works. You would have to come back and the chair would have to rule whether or not that was an acceptable subamendment, after we passed a discrete subamendment and an amendment. That would be up to the chair's understanding of whether you could revisit it again.
Right now, we have to debate my amendment as amended by Ms. McPherson and the committee. I think that's where we're at.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
5:05 p.m.
Bloc
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sven Spengemann
Yes, absolutely.
Madam Clerk, do you have the language in front of you?
5:05 p.m.
The Clerk
Mr. Chair, unfortunately, I do not. I was dealing with a technical issue when it was moved.
Mr. Oliphant, maybe—
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Unfortunately, I still haven't had a chance to go back.... I think Mr. Morantz, ironically, has it.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
I would be happy to reintroduce Mr. Oliphant's amendment. It reads as follows: “That the committee express its deep concern about certain educational materials circulated to students by UNRWA during the pandemic that violates the values of human rights, tolerance, neutrality and non-discrimination, at a time when UNRWA is receiving funding from the Government of Canada, and report this motion to the House.”
I think I have that right.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
That's my amendment, but it's now been amended by Ms. McPherson, so it's exactly what that was except that “in error” has been added to it.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
Does Ms. McPherson have the amended amendment from Mr. Oliphant? Can you read it first?
5:05 p.m.
NDP
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
It reads: “That the committee express its deep concern about certain educational materials circulated to students by UNRWA during the pandemic in error that violates the values of human rights, tolerance, neutrality and non-discrimination, at a time when UNRWA is receiving funding from the Government of Canada, and report this motion to the House.”
5:05 p.m.
Bloc
Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Montarville, QC
For my own personal enlightenment, Mr. Chair, does this change anything in Mr. Chong's main motion?
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sven Spengemann
Mr. Chong, do you wish to read your original motion for comparison?
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In my motion, the amendment moved by Mr. Oliphant and Ms. McPherson replaces, in English, the following sentence:
“material identified in UNRWA text books which violates basic norms on”
by, in English:
“certain educational materials circulated to students by UNRWA during the pandemic in error that violates the values of”.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
We also have a subamendment moved by Marty Morantz. This subamendment seeks to add four words, in English:
“which UNRWA claims was”. That would be placed in between the words “pandemic” and “in”. That's the current subamendment in front of the committee.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sven Spengemann
That's to the amendment.
Mr. Chong, thank you. I think we've had extensive discussion on the arguments.
Does anybody else want to come in and speak to the substance or to the procedure?
Mr. Oliphant.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
I just want to understand. I was trying to find it in writing. Are we back to “claims” or “stated” in what Michael just read?
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
I read “claims”, but I believe Marty said “stated”. That was my mistake. I'm sorry.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
I will just say that I can live with “stated”, if that helps us move somewhere on this. I think that's fair. I think “claims” has a loaded nature to it, and “stated” is just putting it out there. I think that could be something I could live with.