Evidence of meeting #4 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
6 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
Go ahead, Mr. Clerk.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 10; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Thank you.
It is now just after six, Ottawa time. I know the room is going to be needed for other meetings.
Mr. Kusmierczyk.
6 p.m.
Liberal
Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I think we have some good momentum going here, so I'd like to propose a motion tonight. I believe there is support there. I believe the spirit of collaboration is there and we can get this motion passed tonight very quickly.
I would like to put forward a motion.
6 p.m.
Conservative
6 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Mr. Chair, I don't mean to interrupt, but I have a point of order. I'd like to vote on this, but I wonder whether somebody can introduce a motion on such a short notice at committee. Does this need to be given a 24 hours' notice before we consider the motion?
November 2nd, 2020 / 6 p.m.
The Clerk
May I, Mr. Chair?
6 p.m.
The Clerk
Notice is required for any substantive motion to be moved before the committee, except for a motion related to the subject at hand. That caveat, “related to the subject at hand”, means that if a motion is related to a subject that's currently being studied, it doesn't need to have notice given before it can be moved. When we're dealing with committee business, everything, any motion, would be related to the committee's business. As a result, in the committee business discussion, notice—strictly speaking—is not required.
Thank you.
6 p.m.
Conservative
6 p.m.
Liberal
Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Thank you very much.
Mr. Lloyd, for the record, I had exactly the same question myself, so I appreciate your asking that.
The motion is as follows: “that, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee conduct, at minimum, a six-meeting study on businesses owned by under-represented groups, black, indigenous, women and persons with disabilities and their ability to procure from the Government of Canada, before and during COVID-19, and that the committee report its findings to the House by May 30, 2021.”
6 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
Thank you, Mr. Kusmierczyk.
I see some hands up.
Mr. Paul-Hus.
6 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Sorry, Mr. Chair. I had my hand up first.
I have another meeting that has already started, so I will leave you to it. The problem with the virtual format is having a number of meetings at the same time.
6 p.m.
Conservative
6 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
I thought we kind of agreed as a group that Mr. Kusmierczyk and Mr. Green would get together and propose this, perhaps at the next meeting, with the intent to have some teeth put into this.
I'm a bit disappointed that you would seem to cut Mr. Green out of this without his input. We studied almost half of this in the 42nd Parliament. The government has sat on its hands and done absolutely nothing toward it. We studied procurement for women-owned businesses and also indigenous-owned. We've done half of it and the government has done nothing.
That's why I'd suggest that perhaps, in good faith, you and Mr. Green—especially because Mr. Green is kind of leading this to begin with—would get together and hash out a motion that we could all agree on and that would actually have some teeth behind it.
As such, I think perhaps I'll put a motion forward that we should adjourn this to allow Mr. Kusmierczyk and Mr. Green time to work it out for the betterment of the committee and for Canadians in general.
6:05 p.m.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
I'm fine with the date. I am more concerned about the six-meeting minimum. I know the study involves a lot of work, but I think a minimum of six meetings is a lot. Studies on indigenous peoples and women were conducted during the 42nd Parliament, so half the work is already done.
I am not sure whether Mr. Kusmierczyk wishes to move the motion as is or take another look at it.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
Mr. Clerk, I'm trying to see whether we have any hands up.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Sorry, Mr. Clerk, should my earlier motion to adjourn not instantly be voted on, or am I wrong there?
6:05 p.m.
The Clerk
Thank you very much, Mr. McCauley. I was trying to contact the chair to ask him to clarify. I misunderstood whether you were....
If you were moving to adjourn the debate, then yes, that question does have to be put immediately without debate or amendment. My apologies if I misunderstood your intention. If your intention is to move that the debate be now adjourned, the committee will have to decide on that.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Yes, my intent is to give time to Mr. Green and Mr. Kusmierczyk to work together to build one motion. We're all in agreement that we'll do this, but we need a stronger motion that actually has teeth behind it.
I'd move to adjourn, so they would have time to present a better one at the next meeting.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
6:05 p.m.
The Clerk
I would suggest, Mr. Chair, that we proceed to recorded division for the sake of clarity.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen
I think so, too. I just cannot see enough hands.
(Motion negatived: nays 6; yeas 4)
It was defeated, so we will continue with the motion.
Is there any further discussion on the motion as presented by Mr. Kusmierczyk?
6:05 p.m.
The Clerk
Mr. McCauley has raised his hand.
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Mr. Chair, I would just ask that sometime over the next couple of days, as we move forward on this motion, we think together as a committee and, again, put some real teeth behind this study so we don't end up with another one like our SME study for indigenous and women...which just sat there not acted upon by the government. That's all I'm asking for.