Evidence of meeting #102 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was petitions.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Deputy Clerk, Procedure
If I remember well, Ms. Finley, if we can take that example...I think it was 11 by 17 inches.
Deputy Clerk, Procedure
It goes into a photocopier, so I suspect that it can be scanned.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Why don't we leave it. I see that you all approve.
The clerk will present that and put it into the recommendation to the researcher, for a maximum and a minimum.
We also have these seven recommendations from Project Naval Distinction.
Does everyone have this document?
It's an organization called Project Naval Distinction. The clerk sent you all a copy of those recommendations.
The first one was—the problem they're raising is that if the member doesn't present it, then it could be a problem for the petitioners. A member could be obstructionist or disorganized, then just not present it. They're suggesting that there should be a timeline and if the member doesn't present it by that time, then it should be opened up for another member to choose to present it.
Go ahead, Mr. Graham.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
When you create an electronic petition, a member has to have sponsored it from the get-go, right? At that point, they're making an implicit commitment to present it.
How often does it happen that a petition has come through, but then nobody wanted to present it? Do we have an idea?
Deputy Principal Clerk, Journals Branch
From the statistics we have, there are about 60 petitions that have been certified and not yet presented. Maybe they were just certified last week—
Deputy Principal Clerk, Journals Branch
That would be out of over 250 that have been certified.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
If that is since the start of this Parliament, then it's a quarter.
Deputy Principal Clerk, Journals Branch
As to how many of them were certified a couple of weeks ago versus those certified months and months ago, I couldn't tell you.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
I suppose I'll have to check with the clerk of petitions.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
If a member has signed up to be the presenter, but then doesn't present it, do the petitioners have any option? Can they get another presenter?
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
I can understand where a petitioner might have a frustration, if a member has signed up to be a sponsor—now we're going to call them a “presenter”, I guess—and they don't present these things. I can see where the frustration would be for a petitioner, but I guess it would be incumbent upon them to maybe have a discussion with that member of Parliament and ask, “Are you comfortable with this and are you going to be able to present it in a timely fashion?”
I think that when you start getting into requiring a member.... What if they're travelling with a committee for three weeks or something?
How would we actually enforce it anyway? Are we going to kick a member out of the House because they didn't present a petition?
I think it's a little unworkable.
Perhaps it's incumbent upon the person who's creating a petition to have a good discussion with that MP and make sure that they're going to present it for them, before they ask them to be a presenter.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
If they don't, should there be an option for that petitioner to go and get another presenter?
Go ahead, Mr. Reid.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
I'd be inclined to think so.
Let's say that our late colleague Gord Brown had been on the verge of presenting a petition and was suddenly unable to because he passed away. I'm not sure what happens in a situation like that. It seems reasonable that someone else should be able to pick up the slack, in that particular situation.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
I have no problem with the petition being transferrable, but I do have a big problem with any system that requires a member to speak in the House at any time or do something in the House that is against the independence of the member.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
So, Clerk, I don't think there is any appetite to force a person to present it, but do you see an option for allowing someone else to present it? Is that a possibility?
Deputy Clerk, Procedure
This happens regularly in the House in the sense that paper petitions are sometimes provided to one member of Parliament. That member even has it certified, and it is given back to the member of Parliament. Then it's another member who presents the petition in the House. You can anticipate that could also happen in regard to e-petitions.