Procedure and House Affairs Committee on May 29th, 2018

[Jill McKenny]

Right.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Even if it's not finalized, if you have something in draft, it would be helpful.

[Jill McKenny]

We haven't started to build an itinerary. We're just finalizing our understanding of your requirements. Certainly, though, the idea is to be in the cities that were mentioned and in that order, if that helps at all, or—

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

The rough times when we'll be travelling is what I'm getting at, so that we can have some sense as to what makes sense for what a substitute would want to know.

[Jill McKenny]

Right.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Could we get that whenever you can send it?

The other thing, Mr. Chair, is that you and I had a conversation about your availability and my availability, as the only chair and vice-chair. We don't have a second vice-chair at the present time. Given that we've arrived at this, which might create a bit of an odd situation.... I think there is a standard practice anyway, but I don't know that it happens automatically. It may be something we have to pass a motion to do, or something to that effect, which is that when the committee is travelling, there wouldn't be any motions undertaken or heard.

Is it not correct that we would have to pass a motion for that rule to be in effect?

What is the appropriate thing for us to do, and is it something the committee is interested in doing? I think it makes sense.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Yes, what he is talking about is that I too probably can't make Friday, so the committee would have to propose an interim chair for that day, because there is no chair, vice-chair, or other vice-chair.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Related to that is the idea that typically, when committees travel, we don't entertain motions and things like that—

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Does that require a motion?

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

I think we have to prove that this is the case. Maybe we would want to pass some kind of motion to that effect. I don't know what's required to do it.

Maybe the clerk could give us some advice on this.

[The Clerk]

If the committee agrees to the idea that motions not be entertained while the committee is travelling, that would certainly suffice.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

I can add that to my motion.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

You may want to deal with that part now, because I think we're going to have a bit longer issue with your motion, to be honest.

If you want to deal with travel, then at least you know you can start to work on those arrangements. You're going to have a bit more problem with your motion.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

I don't see the point. I can just add it to that motion altogether anyway, because it's all part of one piece, isn't it? Do we move forward—?

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

That tells us where the government stands, then, so that's fine.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

Yes.

Basically, where we stand is.... I can—

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

You want to get by your end date on your.... You get to ram it through, basically.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

No, not ram it through, but we want some reassurances from your side that we're not going to come back and then be at a standstill, but that we're going to be making progress and moving forward. I would hate to spend all this money getting input from people across the country and then not be moving forward with this legislation.

That's where I am on it. The Liberal members on this committee just want some reassurance. We can talk about maybe shifting dates here and there, but right now, this is how I see it fitting best.

We want to move on this. We want to make sure that in the next election Canadians are able to vote, that Canadians have access to our elections. We want to make sure about all of those things. To do so, we have heard from the CEO that we need to move on this.

You'll probably respond by saying we should have done it even quicker, and of course we should have, perhaps, but this is where we are right now. In order to move it forward, we need to do something.

I'm not really comfortable going on the road without knowing that the money spent and all the input we get from witnesses on the road is going to be useful to us when we get back to Ottawa to do the clause-by-clause, to present amendments, and also to use that feedback to bounce ideas around regarding all the submissions we may get from our colleagues.

This is where my mindset is, and that's why I'm doing this. It's not out of any kind of unwillingness on my part; it's just so that we know this is going to go somewhere and that we can get this legislation moving.

Is now a good time to read it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Yes, why don't you read the motion that you are proposing.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

There are several separate paragraphs to the motion.

Number one is that notwithstanding any motion adopted by the committee in relation to the submission of proposed amendments to bills, the members of the committee, as well as members who are not part of a caucus represented on the committee, submit to the clerk of the committee all their proposed amendments to the bill no later than the end of day on June 8, 2018, in both official languages, and that these be distributed to members.

I'll summarize. This is basically allowing all the parties and all of those who are not represented here to make submissions.

Number two is that the clerk of the committee write immediately to each member of Parliament who is not a member of a caucus represented on the committee to inform them of the beginning of the consideration of the bill by the committee and to invite them to prepare and submit any proposed amendments to the bill for the committee's consideration prior to the deadline, which is June 8, 2018.

Number three is that the committee commence clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-76 on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at 11:00 a.m.

Number four is that 80 or more suggested amendments are received, the chair may limit debate on each clause to a maximum of five minutes per party per clause.

Number five is that should the committee not complete its clause-by-clause consideration of the bill by 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, all remaining amendments submitted to the committee shall be deemed moved, the chair shall put the question forthwith and successively, without further debate, on all remaining clauses and proposed amendments, as well as each and every question necessary to dispose of clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, as well as all questions necessary to report the bill to the House, order that it be reprinted, and order the chair to report the bill to the House as soon as possible.

We can say as number six that no substantive motions should be passed while the committee is on travel.

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Or “entertained”.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

—or “entertained”, sure, or—

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

The member proposing it—

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

Yes, “proposed”; I think I said “passed”.

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

You can entertain it, but you can't move it.