Government Operations Committee on Feb. 5th, 2024

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

If it's discussing the procedural part, no. I've ruled on it. Let's move on.

Did you want to move...? We can have the motion to adjourn the debate on Ms. Block's amendment and then we can finish up.

Knowing the committee, I imagine if you talk off-line, you could probably come to.... There seems to be close agreement with three or four, at least, and have the motion like that. We could then probably have a new one put on the order today for Wednesday, if you wish.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I'll move to suspend. If we vote to suspend, we will pick up precisely where we left off at our next meeting. My concern is that we pick up where we left off at our next meeting. I know that's not always the case, so I want to be specific about it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

You're looking to suspend the debate on the amendment.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I'm looking to suspend the meeting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

You want to suspend the meeting.

I have a solution. I suggest we just adjourn.

For Wednesday, our witnesses have stated they're not available, so we will have committee business. We can finish this off on Wednesday, seeing as we have no witnesses.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Chair, I keep trying to make motions, and I'm unclear whether my motion is in order.

Can you rule on whether my motion to suspend the meeting is in order?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

It's been suggested that it's.... The advice I'm receiving from the clerk is to move to adjourn it, but I will confirm with her. Hold on two seconds.

My clerk has never heard of that, but she will double-check.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I have a point of order, Chair.

If we don't have the other intended witnesses available for Wednesday, I wonder if the committee would agree to set aside some time to continue with the lost time for questions to Mr. Lafleur, as well as some time to conclude the matters of committee business, including Mr. Bachrach's motion.

I think it's reasonable for that work to finish on Wednesday. It could even be the first item on the agenda, but I would like to have Mr. Lafleur back.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I think someone suggested that, but I don't think we got that far with Mr. Bachrach.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

We were quite limited, frankly, in our time to ask questions because of some of the other interventions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I have an answer as well. The clerk is stating that it's not a dilatory motion. You can't move to suspend, so I suggest—

[Charles Sousa, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Give me two seconds. Let me finish, please.

I'm going to suggest again that if you wish, as we do not have witnesses on Wednesday, we can continue this on Wednesday under committee business. Perhaps we can discuss having Mr. Lafleur for a second hour or 40 minutes that we had for questioning or—

[Charles Sousa, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

On this issue—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

—if we're fine with that.

Go ahead, Mr. Sousa.

[Charles Sousa, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

On this issue, do we need consensus to adjourn? Given that we have ongoing engagement and we have an ongoing motion and we have an amendment to the motion, do we need consensus now, or can we suspend? Do you have the right to drop the gavel without consulting with us to provide for suspension?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

We do have a speakers list on Ms. Block's amendment. She was next. Mr. Bachrach has made several attempts. We were trying to accommodate him, but none of the ideas were in order.

Really, I was suggesting that we have agreed to an adjournment, but Mr. Bachrach doesn't appear to be in agreement with it. We are probably about another.... We're going to lose our resources in about another four or five minutes, but we do have a speaking list, and Ms. Block is on it.

[Charles Sousa, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

I'm trying to understand this procedure now. If there is no consensus to adjourn, we cannot adjourn.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Well, if we don't have resources, we adjourn. I adjourn the meeting. We cannot continue without resources.

[Charles Sousa, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

It would suspend until the next meeting, right?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I would just adjourn it.

Go ahead, Ms. Block.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Thank you, Chair—

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

Mr. Chair, are we really arguing about whether the meeting can be adjourned in accordance with a clearly worded motion allowing for that?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I'm sorry, but my interpretation is not....

Start at the beginning, please.