Foreign Affairs Committee on Aug. 4th, 2022

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Marty Morantz]

I guess—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I'm not trying to move any motions or anything, colleagues. I just think it's a point of discussion here, as follows.

When do colleagues think we should meet next? I think we had committed to working to try to get to the bottom of this issue, and if members prefer, we can schedule another meeting for committee business, I suppose, but I think it makes sense for us to try to identify when we're going to meet next to proceed with this work.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Marty Morantz]

I'm not sure that's a point of order, but I guess—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

It's not a point of order; I'm not raising a point of order. I put my hand up just to speak.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Marty Morantz]

Is there an appetite right now for the committee to discuss scheduling our next meeting?

I see one head shaking in the negative. Let's take a little straw poll here.

Ali, you don't get to vote.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thumbs up for yes to a discussion right now about the schedule?

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Marty Morantz]

No, we're not going to have it. It's something you probably need unanimous consent for.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Yes.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Marty Morantz]

I guess we're going to have to adjourn.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, I don't know if that's the case. The committee can only adjourn based on majority consent is the principle, and I see that it seems that the Conservatives and the NDP want to have this discussion. I'm not sure where Mr. Bergeron is on that, as he would be the deciding vote, but—

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Chair, did you not just adjourn the meeting?

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Marty Morantz]

I said I guess we should adjourn, I didn't say we are adjourned.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

In practice, the principle is that consent of the majority of the committee is the standard for adjournment.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

I have a point of order on that.

I want to say that having chaired a number of committees over the years, it requires unanimous consent to adjourn a meeting. So, as long as members want to talk, you can talk. I would also say that talking about the agenda of the committee, based upon what we just heard, is also in order because it is relevant to the business at hand.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Marty Morantz]

Mr. Clerk, I'd like some clarification on this. What are the rules around adjourning?

[The Clerk]

We need a majority to adjourn the committee.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Marty Morantz]

So it's not unanimous—

[The Clerk]

No.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Marty Morantz]

—as Mr. Bezan said.

I have seen situations where someone moves adjournment, there's a vote and it's a dilatory motion. Is that correct?

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair—

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Mr. Chair, may I make a motion to adjourn the meeting, please?

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Sorry, I had the floor, Mr. Chair, so maybe just to make this simple—

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

No, you didn't. He didn't acknowledge.... I made a motion and that's dilatory, it should be voted on, thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Marty Morantz]

You didn't have the floor, Mr. Sarai.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

You can't just make the rules up, Garnett.