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

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

If something happens and one of the House leaders is at the other end of the room, and they have to rise on a point of order, right now they can't. They have to run back to their seat to do it. Why not allow that small group of people, who are the people managing the House, to get up from wherever they are?

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

That's a selling point for the parliamentary running team, then.

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

I'm not a member of that, that's for sure.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Great, so let's get you joined and you won't have to worry about that.

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

That's Standing Order 17. I'll defend it.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Fine.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Okay.

Topic 3 is sexual harassment-free workplace: review the measures in place to ensure they are sufficient to provide for a workplace free of sexual harassment for members and staff.

Ginette.

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Yes, I'll do that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

We're on table 7 now, dealing with private member's business. There are nine suggestions here.

Topic 1 is amendments during second reading.

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

Wasn't it meant to be “second hour”?

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

That belongs to my speech; I had a long speech.

The idea was that between the first and second hour of debate, a sponsor of a motion could move changes to his bill based on the first hour of debate. Because of some controversial bills we've had around the time of this debate, it's just an idea to discuss.

I'll take that one, unless somebody else wants it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

First let me read the whole thing for the record so that it's in the minutes.

The one we just did was to permit the sponsor of a bill to move amendments to his or her bill during second reading debate.

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

During second hour....

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Do you want to change that to “hour”?

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

Between the two hours of debate, between the first and second hour of second reading debate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Topic 2 under private members' business is designation as non-votable: strengthen or add to the criteria by which items of private members' business are judged votable or non-votable.

Was that in your speech, too, David?

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

No, not that one. The next one is, though.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Is there no champion for that? Okay.

Topic 3 is dissolution: permit private members' items on the Order Paper to survive and retain their place following a dissolution.

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

Provided members are on the list....

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Yes, and the item here was.... Well, you could be like me. Until now, after 11 years, it's the first time I actually have a private member's slot. So this means at dissolution, if it's almost your turn, you stay there, and everyone would eventually get a chance.

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

I have a question. Does that go through successive parliaments, or within a particular sitting of parliament?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Andrew Lauzon]

Dissolution means the end of a parliament, so it would be from one parliament to the other.

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

I think you're thinking of the prorogation issue, which is different.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

It's not dissolution; it's prorogation.

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

It's prorogation.