Health Committee on May 18th, 2017

[Darshan Singh Kang, Liberal, Calgary Skyview, AB]

That's why I want to see this bill be more comprehensive. A first responder could be any private citizen too. In my opinion, the person who is there, they are there first because, for example, in the case of Manmeet Bhullar, he was trying to respond to an accident. Another trucker drove by and wiped him out too. If we make this bill comprehensive, meaning it applies to all Canadians, I think it would satisfy the preamble. If in the body of the bill, we could make changes, making it comprehensive once and for all for all Canadians, and not limiting it to those who are in the workplace.... I keep raising this point because we are a diverse country and I think we should consider all Canadians. That's what my concern is. I know we view the first responders as some kind of robot and that nothing affects them, but everything affects them because we are all human beings. I'm lost in all of this.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

I appreciate your comments, and your testimony over the last few sessions as well.

I think that when you're able to share personal experiences, bringing them to the table, that's the incredible thing about Parliament. We have people from all walks of life and with different experiences.

I'll again bring it back to the intent of this bill, which was to develop a comprehensive national framework for our first responders, veterans, and military. My hopes then were that, having the ministers around the table, they could develop a framework that could potentially be applied elsewhere, as we heard from Dr. Sareen's testimony.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Okay, I'm going to go back to clause-by-clause.

[Darshan Singh Kang, Liberal, Calgary Skyview, AB]

Sorry, Mr. Chair, very quickly, I agree with Mr. Ayoub's submission. I agree with Mr. Davies too.

Let's proceed with the bill and see where we go with it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

We have to do that.

I'm going to go back to the ruling. I've ruled your amendment out of order, and it's not debatable.

Mr. Davies, is this about the ruling?

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Actually, I was on the speakers list before you decided to....

[An hon. member]

Quickly.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

There is one thing I will say to colleagues in terms of this “quickly” thing. We are parliamentarians and we have a piece of legislation in front of us. We're entitled as parliamentarians, in fact we're obligated, to carefully scrutinize this bill. This idea that after half an hour of talk people are getting impatient, frankly—

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

There's no point of order.

[An hon. member]

There is a point of order.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

He's talking about his amendment, which you've already ruled out of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Sir, you're not a member of the committee. You can't have a point of order.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, my point is that where we are at in the proceedings is speaking to your ruling that my amendment to add the word “workplace” is outside the scope of the bill.

I think it has to be revisited, in light of the fact that you permitted the question from Mr. Oliver directly to the drafter and sponsor of the bill. I think the clerk heard very carefully what the intent of the bill was. He said, no less than four times—

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

On a point of order.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I have the floor right now, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Except that you're debating my decision. You can't debate it; you can call for a vote on it.

Yes, Dr. Carrie.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

My colleague is debating his own amendment, which you've already ruled out of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

The only thing you can do is contest my ruling and have a vote by the committee.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Fair enough, Mr. Chair.

If you would just permit me then to make a brief remark before we go to that vote, because you've asked—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Not about that decision.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Well, frankly, none of the talk that occurred after your ruling should have occurred then.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

No, it probably shouldn't have.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

You can't selectively enforce that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

I'm going to enforce it.