Evidence of meeting #66 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 amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Garnett Genuis
At this point, we don't have any other items on the agenda, so I'll put the question back to the committee. If there's a desire on the part of the committee, there are a number of items that I know members have expressed interest in dealing with. We can deal with those, or we can adjourn.
I would like to either adjourn or suspend so that we can give the officials time to step away. Perhaps we could do a quick straw poll and ask which members are interested in adjourning.
I'm not seeing any hands, but I think I have a majority of the committee indicating that they would prefer to adjourn. Is that...?
Conservative
NDP
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Garnett Genuis
Okay.
Let's take a vote on adjourning. If there is not agreement to adjourn, then we will suspend.
Do you have a point of order, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe?
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
I have a question, Mr. Chair. As you know, I am not an expert in procedure.
Are you suggesting we take a five-minute break so the officials can leave, or do you want to adjourn the meeting?
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Garnett Genuis
Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, I'm offering the committee the option. As you know, adjournment is not something that the chair is supposed to do of their own will. Adjournment is dependent on the will of the committee. There was nothing else on the agenda besides Bill S-8, but we certainly have the option to deal with other matters.
I'm putting the question back to the committee. I got the sense that there was a desire to have a vote on the question of adjournment.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I would rather have us just continue on and certainly not adjourn.
Conservative
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Chair, it is clear that Ms. McPherson had a motion she would like to discuss. Don't we also have to vote on some budgets?
We have the room and resources at our disposal for two hours. Taxpayers will pay the same amount whether we leave now or stay. I think they would rather have us stay and do our job.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
I have a point of order.
I would like to ask, Mr. Chair, if you would you dismiss the witnesses so we can continue with our discussion.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Garnett Genuis
Is it the will of the majority of the committee that we—
This was the question I wanted to ask because as the chair, I'm not trying to make the decision myself. I'd like to know if....
Either way, we should suspend to dismiss the officials.
Is it the desire of the committee to adjourn now or to suspend?
NDP
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
We've never suspended in the past to dismiss officials. It's always been done in the midst of a meeting. This would be the first time that it ever happened in this committee.
I'm suggesting that you simply—
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Garnett Genuis
I'm not seeing a consensus, so I will suspend for a couple of minutes—
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Garnett Genuis
I think maybe there will be some discussion. There are certain matters we need to deal with in camera as well, so we'll suspend and resume in camera.
[Proceedings continue in camera]
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Garnett Genuis
Colleagues, we're resuming in public.
I don't know that I said this in the confusion at the end, but I do want to say thank you to the officials for their testimony. I'm very pleased that we were able to get through Bill S-8 so quickly.
I think there's a desire now for the committee to have some discussion on other matters.
I see that Ms. McPherson has her hand raised.
Go ahead, Ms. McPherson. You now have the floor.
