Government Operations Committee on June 19th, 2024

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

Mr. Green should know that when debate on a motion is adjourned, there is a procedurally appropriate way of resuming the debate on that matter, but you cannot just demand the immediate resumption of consideration of that matter.

You can't just make up the rules. There are rules that guide how committees are supposed to work.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

That's precisely what I'm getting at.

I'll challenge the decision.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

No, I agree.

Mr. Green, there are procedural ways to do it. This is not the way. You cannot just, outside committee business, drop a motion—

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, you're at the will of this committee, not the other way around. You've made a decision on that, and I challenge that decision.

Call the vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Please do not give directions to the clerk, Mr. Green.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I wasn't.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I appreciate this is—

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

It was through to you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

You can keep your comments to yourself until you have the floor. You do not have the floor. And please do not be giving directions to our clerk. Thank you.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Marc-Olivier Girard]

The question is whether to maintain the chair's ruling.

(Ruling of the chair overturned: nays 7; yeas 3 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Now I'll speak to the motion. Thank you.

Mr. Chair—

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

I have a point of order, Chair.

You had just articulated the rules. Mr. Green challenged the chair on an obviously correct ruling. I guess I'm struggling to understand what the new reality is now that we've stepped outside the green book and the Standing Orders.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

We're resuming debate.

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

What are we resuming debate on? Are we into debate, or are we...?

I don't know where we are, given that we haven't followed the rules.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Yes, I'm going to confer with the clerk. I find this very odd that we actually have Standing Orders that we seem to decide we can overrule when we don't wish to—

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

We're resuming debate—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

—follow proper procedures.

Just give me a couple of seconds, Mr. Genuis.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Apparently we're into a point where—

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

When you're done....

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

No, I'm good.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I'm referring to Mr. Kusmierczyk.

The committee overruled. You can introduce your new motion.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I'm resuming debate on it, and—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

We're not resuming debate, Mr. Green. You brought in a new motion.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Well, it's the motion I brought in last time, which you all filibustered.

What we've discovered here—