Government Operations Committee on March 4th, 2008

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

A point of order, and I will make this intervention very brief. If you have a challenge to the chair, it is a motion, it is immediately voted on, and it is not debatable. So if you have a challenge to the chair, you put it to the chair and there is an immediate vote. If that fails, we go to the other vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

The motion would be that you challenge the chair because the chair has called the vote and you don't want to move to the vote.

[A voice]

No.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

We'll vote on the challenge to the chair.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Madam Chair, we vote as to whether or not we uphold the ruling of the chair, so the positive vote will uphold the ruling of the chair, not vice versa.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Okay, so those in favour of upholding the ruling of the chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

Of upholding the ruling of the chair. I thought if you were challenging the chair--

[A voice]

It's the same thing.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

All those in favour of the position of the chair? Against?

(Ruling of the chair sustained)

Now we'll move to the vote on Mr. Angus's subamendment.

[A voice]

A recorded vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

A recorded vote.

(Subamendment agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)

We now go to the amendment of Madame Folco.

Mr. Albrecht.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

I want to make a point. We have called witnesses and we've indicated they will be available. Could we table this motion until the next meeting?

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

Is that your motion?

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

That's my motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

We have to vote on that immediately because that's a dilatory--

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Madam Chair, the point is in deference to our witnesses who've spent time to get here and prepare; it's not a matter of--

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

That's fine. There's no debate on a dilatory motion; you move to the vote right away.

The motion is that we table this debate in order to hear our witnesses who are here.

(Motion negatived)

[Daryl Kramp, Conservative, Prince Edward—Hastings, ON]

A point of order, Madam Chair.

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Yes.

[Daryl Kramp, Conservative, Prince Edward—Hastings, ON]

On this same issue, I would also like to table a motion. Madam Chair, in response to the previous motion, I would like to table the previous motion and move the following motion:

That the committee suspend these partisan games that we're going on with here and spend the next four meetings to finish our report on accrual accounting so that taxpayers' interests may best be served.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

That is a new motion, Mr. Kramp; we can't deal with a new motion at this time. We have to deal with the motion that is on the table at this time.

We're dealing now with the amendment of Madame Folco to Mr. Holland's motion as modified by Mr. Angus' motion. I'll call the vote on that.

All those in favour of Madame Folco's amendment amending the original motion as amended by Mr. Angus.

[A voice]

A recorded vote, please.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

A recorded vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)

So the motion is amended according to Mr. Angus and Madame Folco. We now move to the main motion as amended.

Mr. Albrecht, did you want to speak?

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

I do.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

As long as there are speakers and I haven't called the vote....

Unfortunately, we do have guests here, and I guess the Conservatives are wondering....

Mr. Albrecht.