Evidence of meeting #2 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was ndp.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
What Mr. Carrie is saying, I believe, is this: Liberal, Conservative, Bloc, Conservative, Liberal, NDP, Conservative, Conservative.
Is that correct, Mr. Carrie?
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
That is correct. So that would give.... We're talking about 12 speaking spots. The Conservatives then would have 5 out of 12, which is still less. The NDP would have two, the Bloc would have two, and the Liberals would have three.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
And you said most times the Conservatives would probably not get that spot.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
No, historically we don't get through the second round very well.
So with your permission, I would like to address Mr. Carrie's and Ms. McLeod's suggestion. They were all on the table, and that's where we're at right now, because we're at an impasse with the other ones.
So Mr. Carrie first of all has said Liberal, Conservative, Bloc, Conservative, Liberal, NDP, Conservative, Conservative. That's what we're looking at.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
That's the amendment we're looking at.
Now Mrs. McLeod's suggestion was Liberal, Conservative, Bloc, Conservative, Liberal, just the same, except at the end she put NDP, Conservative. So the only thing that has been changed here is Mr. Carrie added one more Conservative space.
All in favour of Mr. Carrie's suggestion, raise your hands.
(Motion agreed to)
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Let's go on to the next one.
Now the one we have to address right now that we haven't addressed.... Is the committee in agreement that we keep the same line of questioning when the minister appears? Are we in agreement?
All in favour?
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
No, the same as we just agreed on, Mrs. Davidson.
(Motion agreed to)
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
It was carried that the same speaking order would be in place, Dr. Bennett.
February 5th, 2009 / 5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
No, the timing is different. The timing is always different. The order will be the same but the timing is quite different.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
We did not discuss that actually, did we?
Thank you for bringing that up.
Yes, Mr. Carrie.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
I believe, though, we just voted on keeping it the same when the minister comes. Is that correct, and it passed?
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
No, excuse me, as a point of order, we agreed to the order that we would speak being the same. The timing with the minister has always been different, with the official opposition having 15 minutes with the minister for estimates or those kinds of things and then moving to 10 minutes for the other members of the opposition.
It is the purpose of the committee to hold the government to account. There's nothing more important than when a minister comes to committee. It is impossible to do estimates in seven minutes.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
I'm sorry, Dr. Bennett. I consulted with the clerk, and I don't know whether we missed this or.... We did vote on the whole thing and it has been done and carried.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
Well, I would like it.... Clearly, the question was not put that way. The question was put, “Is the order the same and is that okay?” We have the motion before us, which is exactly that during the periods of a minister.... This motion before us is what we think we voted on.
So it's up to you, Madam Chair. If you want to drive through what we didn't agree to, then we'll have to find a different way of doing that. We agreed to the paragraph one being the same in terms of the order--
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Quite honestly, it's in the spirit of collaboration. It's just that we're trying to get this business done. We have decided on the order. I'm going to ask for the will of the committee. We did not discuss the timing with the minister, so at the will of the committee, can we have some discussion about that? Because that is a point. There could be a point of order brought up, because that was not presented that way. I did say “the order of speaking”.
We'll have Mr. Carrie.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
I thought when the question was put that we would do the exact same thing when the minister came. That was my understanding. So that's what I thought we voted on, and that's what I thought we had passed. If we want to change something, when we obviously voted on the full thing, then can I just have a moment to discuss it with my colleagues? Could I have a one-minute or two-minute break?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
I did mention the order of speaking, and the time element was not mentioned. It wasn't. I have to admit that. My apologies. I should have done that, and that's what Dr. Bennett brought up.
We will have one minute. You can go get something to eat. Take one minute so you can discuss the possibilities among yourselves, and we'll get back and discuss this.
May I call the meeting back to order, please?
Now, we're going to take a look at the time, precisely directed toward the time the minister comes to committee.
Go ahead, Mr. Carrie.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Madam Chair, in the spirit of cooperation, we'll be fine with what you've had in the past on this committee if the opposition would agree that they would allow the chair to be strict about the time we start so that we actually get a chance to raise our questions as well.
