Evidence of meeting #28 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was position.
A video is available from Parliament.
6:15 p.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
My comments were on the original motion, not the amended motion.
6:15 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I was going to speak on the motion as well, but I will speak on the amendment. I have concerns with it, because I think this amendment demands more attention. I think for our committee to now seriously take this motion and take it to the House requires that we understand all the implications of it, which I'm not sure even I do, having studied it.
I want to know what effect this sanctioning.... It's more than sanctioning; I want to know what effect this listing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would have on citizens in Canada who have had military experience with Iran and now have lived in Canada for some time. I would want to know what impact it has on the reality of the situation and whether or not it actually will help in the current context of what is going on. I'd like to have more information and more context.
As people in this room know, we don't have a mission now in Tehran. That was closed by a previous government, which we have understood as an important closure. Diplomatic relations with Iran are now very difficult for us, and it's very difficult to understand exactly what's happening on the ground in Iran. We are working with allies and like-minded people to understand the very difficult situation with activities going on in dozens of communities around Iran in response to Ms. Amini's death as well as the death of a few dozen other protesters who have been in solidarity with her.
I think it's really important for us to take this very seriously and I think I would like to sleep on it. Even though I believe the motion that Ms. Bendayan has put forward is critically important, I would move at this time that we adjourn debate on the amendment.
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
September 28th, 2022 / 6:20 p.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Ariane Gagné-Frégeau
The vote is on adjourning the debate on the amendment of Garnett Genuis.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.
In light of our scheduled plans for next week, I wonder if there would be unanimous consent to seek to schedule an additional meeting this week in order to finish the debate. Mr. Oliphant carried the majority of committee in terms of wanting to sleep on it, but I would like to be able to come back to this motion later this week, given the urgency that's been stated, rather than needing to cut into some of our planned business for next week.
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
No. I don't give unanimous consent on it because I don't even know what my week is like. Today is Wednesday. We have one more day, and then we have a very important day of reconciliation and remembrance on Friday, so that would mean a meeting tomorrow to follow that.
I can't give you unanimous consent without even knowing what my day is like tomorrow, or what anyone's day is like tomorrow. It seems to be impossible, so I don't give unanimous consent on that.
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC
Mr. Chair, I wish to raise a point of order because I want to understand the situation well.
We have just adjourned the debate on the amendment, but the motion itself is still under consideration. Is that correct?
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
No, I have a point of order. That's not correct. When you adjourn debate, a debate is over on the motion as well as the amendment. That's the implication of what you chose to do.
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ali Ehsassi
I understand that Mr. Genuis is correct, because the debate was adjourned.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ali Ehsassi
We're going to have to resume questioning of the witnesses at this particular time.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
Before we move on to the questioning of the witnesses, I have a point of order. Debate has been adjourned on the motion. When do you plan on bringing debate back to this committee on that motion? This is a matter of a great deal of interest for us and for many Canadians.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
The motion now belongs to the committee. Mr. Chair, when are you planning on bringing this debate back to committee?
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ali Ehsassi
Should we do it on Monday evening, after we've gone through the report? I believe it—
6:20 p.m.
Liberal
Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC
Mr. Chair, respectfully, isn't it up to the mover of the motion to decide when they would bring back their own motion?
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, no, the motion belongs to the committee. Once a motion has been moved, it belongs to the committee as a whole.
Mr. Chair, as you are our chair, I'm asking you when you plan on bringing it back. Setting aside time after Monday's testimony would make sense to me, if other members of the committee agree.
6:25 p.m.
Liberal
Rachel Bendayan Liberal Outremont, QC
I was asking the clerk for clarification. If I moved the motion and it is adjourned, is it now up to the committee or is it up to the mover of the motion?
I was asking the clerk.
6:25 p.m.
The Clerk
It's up to the committee now.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
Mr. Chair, just on the point of order, I think that if members of the committee are amenable, after we hear from the witnesses at Monday's meeting, perhaps we could set aside half an hour. We could do a two-and-a-half-hour meeting on Monday, with two hours for the witnesses and then half an hour at the end for consideration of the motion in front of the committee, if it is the wish of the committee to proceed that way.
6:25 p.m.
Liberal