Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Feb. 25th, 2014

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I'm sorry, sir, I have no problem with that if you give me an itemized list of what we're going to do. I just want to be sure, you can appreciate, I don't want to just be outmanoeuvred here. But if we've got some motherhood business to take care of, we are not unreasonable, so you can continue—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I'll suggest I'll keep the floor, if that would make you feel better. If you were to do this and we go to committee business, I will keep the floor and only take comments from the floor about committee business and not relinquish it to anyone else. It would go back to you when we're done.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Let me just check with my staff, because I don't want to make a mistake here.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

When did you become so cynical? David, you lost that—

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

When I was first elected.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I like your offer. Let me just make sure I understand it. If I relinquish the floor right now, then you will have the floor, sir, and no one else will have the floor. There will be no motions, no voting. It's just business that would be by consensus and the understanding is at the beginning of the next meeting, which won't be Thursday, it would be the meeting after—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Tuesday.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

—that my motion would be back on the floor, and I would have the floor?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Absolutely. You're 100% correct.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

That's not just the letter, but the spirit of the intent, because if I have to I'll stand on spirit.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

No, no.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Okay, I hear and I trust you, Mr. Chair, and I trust Tom when he tells me that he's being “that Tom”, and I will be “that Dave”, and agree.

Let's hope this works, Chair. I defer the floor to you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you very much.

I had a couple of issues. One was that the Aga Khan is addressing Parliament this Thursday, and so this committee will not be sitting, because we'll be in the House for that.

There are a couple of other pieces about submitting witnesses and amendments for this bill, but we won't talk about those today, because we're not at that point yet. I know that my clerk would not be happy with that.

There's a request from the South African high commission. A group of delegates or members of Parliament is visiting from Gauteng province and their legislature. Their privileges and ethics standing committee is coming looking for some advice. I know they're visiting Toronto also, but often, when a group like this comes to Ottawa, we're the group they spend a little time with.

They're requesting to meet on March 27 or 28. I would like to ask this committee, since we will hopefully by then be into the review of this legislation, that we take not our committee time but maybe half an hour before or after to meet with this visiting delegation on March 27.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Could it be half an hour before?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Would you rather it was before? Is that the—?

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

As long as it doesn't interrupt the flow of the political dynamic here, if it's a matter of giving them—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

You will recognize that one of the last times this happened, your chair had the great opportunity of entertaining the group by himself, because we made it optional for the members. This chair is not making it that optional.

We will have supplementary estimates (C) before us at some point—and in the next little while, too. Again I'll need some consensus from the group. I haven't seen them, so I can't tell you, but perhaps we will need to take a look at them to decide whether this committee will spend time with them.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

When do they have to be passed?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

It's by some time like the end of next week.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

What happens if—?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

If we don't touch them, they are deemed reported.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

If we don't touch them, they're deemed to be reported?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

That's right.

Other than that, there are a couple of other private members' bills before the committee, but they won't get to us—

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Let me speak to that, Chair, maybe just to give Kevin a better sense.

Many supplementary estimates—and I'm not saying it's right—are deemed reported. Many committees don't deal with them, frankly; if anything, they give them a cursory glance. However, if the committee feels that it wants to deal with them, we certainly have no problem going over the supplementary estimates; it's probably a wise thing to do anyway. But I don't know how long it would take.

David is right. Regardless of the dynamics that are going to go on, this is still legislation before us, and I think it takes precedence over anything else, regardless of what shape or form we're in.

I'll let the opposition consult with one another as to whether they want to do a full examination of the supps or not. Then we can maybe talk off-line and get back to you, Chair.