Procedure and House Affairs Committee on May 13th, 2020

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

I'm not in favour of that, but I do like the suggestion that Mr. Alghabra made. I think there are two very different things. Mr. Alghabra's suggestion makes it clear that it would be a pre-agreed period of time that the parties would have agreed to, and that it could only be extended if all parties then agreed. I still won't be comfortable voting for this, but not because that hasn't solved my concerns around the protection of democracy.

I think between the two of us and a few others who have contributed here, Mr. Alghabra, we can take credit for saving democracy here today. We'll go that far. Why not? Heck, we're politicians after all, right?

Now, it doesn't meet with my ability to vote for it, because [Inaudible—Editor] with future crises, during the middle of a crisis, is a bad idea. Having said that, it does meet with enough of my approval that we've saved democracy, or we've been able to preserve democracy, to the degree that I can yield the floor.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Thank you, Mr. Richards. I really appreciate that.

I appreciate everybody's help in getting to this point. I think everyone has a clear understanding. We are going with basically everything Mr. Turnbull read out to us several times, up until that very last sentence, and then Mr. Alghabra's proposal for that last sentence.

Is everyone—

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Sorry, Madam Chair, but is it possible for us to hear that one more time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Yes.

I think the first part was read several times, so go down to the last sentence about what the committee further recommends, and then Mr. Alghabra can reread what he's putting in place from that period onward.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

It would be better to have Mr. Vaive or Andre do it, would it not?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

I'd be okay with that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Sure. That would be good.

Andre, you can help us out here.

[Andre Barnes, Committee Researcher]

I hope I have this written down correctly: “That the House establish an alternative set of standing orders which enables the implementation of a virtual Parliament so that the House can continue with its business in the event of a crisis or exceptional circumstance such as those arising from the current pandemic.” After “The committee further recommends”, I'm missing a chunk, and then it continues with “for a predetermined, agreed upon, period of time and can only be extended if all parties agree.”

Sorry. I'm missing a chunk.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

No problem. We'll have Omar take us from the period forward, and then maybe the analysts can write it down.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

I can do that.

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

Yes, go ahead, Ryan.

I don't have it written down, to be honest.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Okay.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

It starts with, “The committee further recommends these modified standing orders only come into force”, and then maybe Andre can take us from there.

[Andre Barnes]

To continue from what Mr. Turnbull was saying, “for a predetermined, agreed upon, period of time and can only be extended if all parties agree.”

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

Madam Chair, I think there's one piece missing there. It's the part about the agreement of all recognized parties. I suggest that we add that back in, i.e., that the committee further agrees that these modified standing orders only come into force “at the agreement of all recognized parties” for a predetermined period of time and so on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Okay. Basically it's the whole original recommendation, and then after “parties” you would add a comma, and then put “for” and all of that language.

Got that, Andre? Yes.

Justin, can you help us call a vote on this recommendation? I think this one deserves a recorded vote, correct?

Mr. Brassard.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Sorry, Madam Chair, I didn't put my hand up but I still have a strong issue with the virtual Parliament part of this. There are several versions of a virtual Parliament, as I said earlier. We have the current version, in which we have committee structures, with members of Parliament on a Tuesday and a Thursday virtually, and then the House sitting. In the absence of any mention of a type of virtual Parliament, which we've heard through testimony could include a hybrid Parliament, I have a problem supporting this.

If we say “virtual Parliament”, then I believe it's open to interpretation and I don't think we should leave it like that, quite frankly. I would respectfully, Madam Chair, have to vote against this for that reason. I'm sorry.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

I understand, and you mentioned that at the beginning as well.

Mr. Richards.

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

On a point of order, Madam Chair, it's unfortunate that we're now 15 minutes from the end of the meeting and we haven't got anywhere near through. I know that's my fault, but that principle was so important to me that I felt the necessity to do that. It's unfortunate it took so long to arrive at a resolution, but now I'm concerned about what that means for the remainder of the recommendations and for finishing the report.

We've been told this is a hard deadline. We absolutely have to be done today, etc., etc. The only reason I raise that now prior to this vote is that there is a possibility that if we arrive at six o'clock eastern time, in 15 minutes or less, this could be the only recommendation that passes prior to that time. Therefore, could we have a report that would have only this one recommendation in it?

I raise that simply because I would be troubled by that possibility, so I'm trying to get a sense as to what our plan is. What are we going to do in the next 15 minutes that allows us to have a complete report rather than—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

We will not submit an incomplete report. I just want to assure you of that. We won't submit just this one recommendation. You have my word on that.

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

How does that take place? That's what I'm asking.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

I'd really like to move towards this vote, but I want to assure you at this time that I will not have this report submitted with just one recommendation. I understand where your concern would come from on that. I completely agree that one recommendation cannot summarize all.... And we haven't even got to the CPC recommendations, right? I would not do that to you.

If we can, we will address that. But I've allowed everyone to speak for a really long period of time, so I just request that at this moment we carry on with this one vote for now, just the one. We have many more.

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

Madam Chair, I take you at your word, and I trust that, but I'm also curious. Is it just we don't quite have a plan yet? What's the reluctance to tell us? If you're going to fill us in, why not just do it now?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

We have a semi-plan. We don't have a complete plan, and I'm going to discuss that with all of you, because I did not anticipate either, just as you didn't anticipate, to come in today and be on this one recommendation. So I'd like to get this one recommendation, and then we can figure out a plan after that as to what we'll do. But I assure you I won't submit just the one recommendation and call it a complete report.

On recommendation one, could we have a vote on this please, Justin.

(Text of recommendation agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Thank you.

My desire would be to move forward for as long as we can, but I have to find out from the clerk how much time we have so we can continue going through the report, so just a one-minute recess, please.

Okay, we have leeway but we're not sure for how long. I think we should keep moving forward and see how much progress we can make until we're told.... I can tell you we don't have all night. We do need a support team to do this, and the clerk will let me know as soon as he knows how much longer we can go.

At this time, I'd like to move on to CPC 2.

Do we have agreement to adopt CPC 2?

It doesn't seem that there's agreement on it at this point. Mr. Richards, Mr. Brassard, Mr. Duncan and Mr. Tochor, would you like a recorded vote on CPC 2?

[An hon. member]

Yes, please.