Government Operations Committee on Oct. 26th, 2020

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I can pretend I do, like everybody else.

However, I do have something for the good and welfare.... Given that I've been pretty strict on what is and what is not a point of order, I will not claim this is a point of order. I just want to be on the speakers list, because I find it a bit rich that the side that's filibustering is now calling for us to move on. At the appropriate time, I'd like to speak to their use of obstruction of democracy as it relates to [Inaudible—Editor].

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Mr. MacKinnon, you are next.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

I want to follow up on my colleague Mr. Paul-Hus' comments.

We think that it's important to understand that we want to move on to a discussion on the development of the committee's work. If we must continually receive and debate motions and conduct new studies, we'll never be able to study everything. We have a very long list of proposals, which have been adopted or which still need to be debated, to guide the committee's work.

I think that the chair, the government party and the opposition want us to have a reasonable discussion on what could constitute the committee's schedule and workload. However, if we must start each meeting with a new study proposal, which we'll be asked to debate, adopt and put on the schedule, obviously we'll never be able to begin the work that we were sent here to do.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. MacKinnon.

I appreciate that.

Points of order are not for debate, and that's where we're going with this. It has become that way. I'm going to ask the committee where it would like to go. Are we going to continue with this? Are we going to prolong it, or would you like to adjourn and move to the subcommittee?

I would ask for direction from the committee on that.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Chair, I want to make a comment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Mr. Paul-Hus, go ahead.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

I think that the government party has taken up enough of the committee's time. Now it's time for us to vote on this motion. We can then proceed as you wish.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Mr. Kusmierczyk, though, has the floor. The motion can't be put forward until someone has the floor. Mr. Paul-Hus is.... We still have [Inaudible—Editor].

If Mr. Kusmierczyk wants to put that forward, then he can do so. He has the floor. We have to proceed along those lines.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Put forward what, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

We can't go to the question until everyone has finished speaking on the question. It would have to be to adjourn to go to subcommittee.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

What would that do to Mr. Kusmierczyk's place in the debate on the motion before us?

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

The debate would be over, should that happen.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

The debate on the motion?

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

On Mr. Paul-Hus's motion. It's a question of whether you....

There are two things: You could adjourn the debate or you could adjourn the meeting.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

If I understand you correctly, Mr. Chair, your wish, which I don't find unreasonable, is that the committee adjourn itself to a subcommittee, where the schedule of work might be considered.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

I'm listening to the wishes of the committee. I'm not making decisions. You need to make that decision as to what you would like to do as a committee.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Well, I would be prepared to make such a motion, without prejudice to my colleague Mr. Kusmierczyk's spot in the debate on the motion that's before us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

You can't do that, unfortunately. You don't have the floor.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Sorry, Mr. Green, I saw Ms. Vignola's hand first. Then we'll go to you.

Ms. Vignola, do you have a point of order?

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

I gather that this is about not allowing Mr. Kusmierczyk to discuss the situation of nurses who are repeatedly crossing the border; not voting on the Baylis Medical issue; preventing discussion on Mr. Green's motion; and preventing any other member from moving a motion, even if the tabling of the motion was approved at the previous meeting.

Is that right?

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

At this point in time, we have a motion on the floor from Mr. Paul-Hus. That is what is being debated right now.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Clearly.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

The options are to adjourn debate on that motion, in which case you could go to Mr. Green's motion and follow forward on that, or to adjourn and end the meeting today. We would then go to subcommittee. The subcommittee could discuss the motions that have been passed.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

If we go to subcommittee, no one will be able to move a motion, even if it would take only one meeting to address the motion. We stop all this and go to subcommittee. Everyone remains silent and we go to subcommittee. Is that right?