Government Operations Committee on March 4th, 2008

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

It's that we put this aside on the understanding that we deal with some of the other things we've been working on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

This isn't an amendment to the motion, is it? I'm going to ask the clerk.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

If I have to say it's a motion to table, that would be the motion, but it would be—

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

Let me check with the clerk.

Point of order.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

May I make an amendment?

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

We are talking about Mr. Warkentin's motion at the moment.

With a motion like yours, we have to pass to the vote right away because it's a dilatory motion. Therefore, we will move directly to vote on your motion that we set aside this topic to go on with other work.

All those in favour of Mr. Warkentin's motion?

We'll have a recorded vote.

(Motion negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

Now we will go to Mr. Angus.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I had said earlier that if we agreed to move this beyond the break, I would support it. So I would make a motion that we would meet on this after the break, because we have other stuff in our docket that we have to attend to. If they would accept that as a friendly amendment, I would move that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

Will you accept that as a friendly amendment?

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

I will.

Just for clarification, that would be the first week we're back, Mr. Angus?

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Sure. It can be the first week we're back.

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

I would accept it for the first week we're back.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

On the amendment by Mr. Angus.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Are we amending the amendment? What are we doing?

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

We're amending the amendment and the motion at the same time. What they had talked about was extensive hearings. The amendment says we will have one meeting with only Mr. Baird. Mr. Angus' amendment says that the one meeting with only Mr. Baird would be held after the Easter break.

I had asked for the vote. There was no one on the list when I asked for the vote on that amendment.

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

Madam Chair, that amendment just came in now. There was no opportunity to speak to this at all.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

At least we should have it read as it would be amended.

[Brian Fitzpatrick, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

How can you get on the list when you don't know what the motion is?

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

I saw no one lifting their hands to debate it and I called the vote on it. So I'm going to ask for the vote on Mr. Angus' amendment.

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

A point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

By the way, it's ten o'clock and our invitees are here.

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

Madam Chair, you are overriding the committee rules here. Can we ask for an interpretation from the clerk on this, as to whether or not we have a right?

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

Okay, but if there was nobody with their hand up, I'm free to move to the vote.

[An hon. member]

Challenge the chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

Challenge the chair.

There was nobody with their hand up, sorry.