Procedure and House Affairs Committee on June 12th, 2007

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

So if the government whip is so inclined, he can make a motion in the House that states, if I have understood correctly, Ms. McGregor, that if the House has risen, the Standing Committee on Procedure may report on the clause-by-clause study of Bill C-54? That would need an order from the House, correct?

[The Clerk]

Yes, if such an order exists.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

We have to know if the government wants to go that way. It is part of the discussion. If it is prepared to wait until our chair reports on our clause-by-clause study on September 17, we will be going with the flow.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Order, please.

Mr. Hill and then Monsieur Proulx.

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Perhaps, Mr. Chair, I'll point out the obvious. We are not the ones who are delaying this right now. We were prepared to go to clause-by-clause today. The witnesses are here. They're waiting to do it. Then we wouldn't be debating this whole issue right now. We'd have the bill ready to go back to the House. We are not the ones who are delaying this.

And whether we can come to some agreement on this motion, and delay with another request for witnesses to appear, whether this all transpires before the House rises or not and whether we could come to some agreement as a special order that if the House had risen we could still have the bill reported back.... All of that's hypothetical, and obviously possible, but I don't want to comment further.

It's not the government side of this committee that is involved in this delay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Mr. Proulx.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It's a question of clarification. Let's assume the House rises this week or early next week, and we've done our work by next Thursday. Let's say we meet the deadline of the 22nd. What difference is there if it's...? There is no difference whether it be tabled.... Why would we table it while the House isn't sitting? Is there an advantage to that?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

It's just getting it tabled.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Get it out of your office.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

For the most part. Ultimately it has to be reported to the House for third reading, so--

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Whether it's done in the middle of the summer or whether it's done in early September, when the House resumes, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Mr. Godin.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

We could be killing the bill. If we prorogued, but the bill had been tabled, I think it would be protected.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Colleagues.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Do we have to have explanations on how we...? He seems to be seeing this with a very different eye. He's talking of fast-tracking. I don't know what fast-tracking is in the middle of the summer.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Colleagues, let me ask the clerk to explain this, because my understanding is that as long as we get through this, the bill is protected whether the House prorogues or it's--

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Clerk]

If the House is to prorogue, all government bills die, whether or not--

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

Except if the government presents a motion?

[The Clerk]

Exactly. Unless they present a motion to reinstate the bill at the stage it was at before, but that's another issue.

The rule is that with prorogation, all government bills die. Whether we have reported it or not would not have an effect on where the bill stands, whether we report it next week or whether we report it on the first sitting day.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

So, in the case of prorogation, the government would normally agree to reinstate the bill in the House.

[The Clerk]

Yes, exactly.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

And we would accept that it had been reinstated, and would continue to study it.

[The Clerk]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

So now we're clear.

I think this motion still stands as it is. There are no further changes.

Do we need to read the motion again, or can I call the question? The question is on the amendments by Monsieur Guimond, first.