Evidence of meeting #51 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was decision.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Just so the opposition is quite clear of the government's position on this, we would support an amendment eliminating the two paragraphs we just discussed. I'm not sure what the NDP's position is. This is just to let you know exactly where we're coming from.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
I have kind of a friendly amendment on the table. Mr. McGuinty said he would accept the friendly amendment. Do I have that?
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I thought we were trying to delete the first and the last paragraphs. Right?
Conservative
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
There's no such thing as a friendly amendment at committees. It's either an amendment or it's not an amendment.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Okay.
Mr. McGuinty called it that, and it's his motion, so I was just going along with Mr. McGuinty.
Mr. Lukiwski has moved that those two paragraphs be removed, the ones he identified.
Mr. McGuinty, are you okay with the changes to your motion?
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Well, it might be helpful, Mr. Chair, through you, if I could ask Mr. Lukiwski what he envisages in terms of length. We put down two pages. I think my colleague said he envisaged 25 pages.
We have two researchers who are going to work all weekend on this. Can we saw this off and say that an 8- or 10-page report, Mr. Chair, is a proper length? Sometimes the shorter the space, the more concise one has to be at making....
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
I'm seeing the analysts say that. I'm seeing the clerk say that.
Mr. Lukiwski, are you...?
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
My suggestion is to just leave it to the analysts. Right? They have to get something back. We have to table this by Monday. The analysts are going to be the ones preparing the work. Where it ends up, in terms of the number of pages, I would certainly leave to the analysts. They're the ones who are going to be preparing it. I would just hate to see it restricted to two pages or less, because I sense that it'll be far longer than that. It may not be more than 8 or 10, but it might be. I leave that solely in the hands of the analysts.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
The analysts know that we have to have this report in our hands at 8:30 on Monday morning. We'll ask them to write a report that meets that time goal. Will that be okay?
Go ahead, Monsieur Paquette.
Bloc
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
We may not need to specify that, but I think the important thing is to have a draft report Monday morning. I would remind the analysts that their home life is extremely important.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Well, then, if I might, Chair, I accept the friendly amendment as put. I guess we envisage an 8- to 10-page report.
Shall I reread the motion? Or can the clerk reread the motion that captures what it would read?
What motion would we pass here?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Well, I'm envisioning that the first paragraph that starts with “That” is gone; “That the draft report be no longer than two pages in each official language” just isn't there, and that the paragraph at the bottom of the page is also not there.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
The motion would be that the draft report contain the conclusions of the committee, namely, one, two, three, four, five.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Right.
Mr. Young, I had you on the speakers list. I saw your hand.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
Chair, I just don't want the analysts to feel restricted in any way on the quality and the integrity and the comprehensiveness of the report.
Thank you.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
I'm seeing that the analysts share that with us.
Go ahead, Mr. Albrecht.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Chair, by accepting the amendment, we no longer need to vote on it. We've all agreed that this is the new form of the motion. Or are we going to vote on the amendment?
I think there's a motion there.