Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Dec. 8th, 2016

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

That's fine.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Topic 7 is take-note debates held at the call of the opposition: allow the official opposition to call two take-note debates in each session and allow the third party to call one take-note debate in each session.

Is no one championing it?

Mr. Davies.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I'll champion that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Topic 8 is take-note debates, decision to hold a debate: allow take-note debates to be held if a certain number of government and opposition members assent to the decision.

Mr. Davies approves, champions.

Now we're on table 4 on deletions (Standing Orders, Practices).

Topic 1 is debate on concurrence motion for a report from the joint committee for the scrutiny of regulations: delete Standing Order 128, which schedules a debate in the House, at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday following a notice of motion, to consider a report from the joint committee for the scrutiny of regulations.

Mr. Graham.

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

That's from my speech. I'm happy to defend it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Topic 2 is first reading of a bill: cease the practice whereby the Speaker asks the House, “When shall this bill be read a second time?”

Is anyone championing that?

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

I will. It was in my speech.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Mr. Graham.

Topic 3 is the prayer: end the practice of reading the prayer to begin each sitting of the House. Alternately, it was suggested the word “amen” in the prayer could be changed to “thank you”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Mr. Davies.

Topic 4 is private bills: delete chapter 15 in the Standing Orders, dealing with private bills (Standing Orders 129 to 147).

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

That was in my speech. I'll take it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

You're defending that.

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

I don't see a reason....

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

That's not private members' bills.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

No, it's not private members' bills.

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

No, it's not private members' bills. This is the C-1000s, which we haven't used for years. We still have it on the Senate side, so everybody goes to the Senate to do it anyway. We used it to build railways and canals. We don't do that much anymore.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Okay.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

It also allows you to—

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

We also used it to get divorces. That's how it used to work.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Topic 5 is strangers detained by the Sergeant-at-Arms: delete Standing Order 158, which permits the Sergeant-at-Arms to detain strangers who misconduct themselves in the House or gallery, and who may not be discharged without a Special Order from the House.

In the old days, they would put them in the jail in the basement. If it was just before the summer recess, they were stuck there all summer because the House had to let them go.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Did that happen?

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

This came from my speech, but I didn't say to delete it. I said I wanted to understand how it worked. If we want to explore it, I'm happy to do it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Okay, we'll help David.

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

I will bring it up, and we can shoot it down later.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

We'll discuss it.