Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Dec. 5th, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

Thank you, Mr. Turnbull.

Ms. Barron, the floor is yours.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you, Chair. I thought I was being added at the very end. This is a nice surprise.

I want to bring forward a unanimous consent motion. I have heard the Conservatives speak quite loudly, over and over, on the concern around the component of this bill that provides pensions to members of Parliament who would otherwise not receive them. I share this concern, as I have made very clear. I have said this from the onset. For that reason, I'm trying to find a path forward here.

Now, I can't even begin to pretend to know what the intentions of the Conservatives are. I will not imply any such intentions, but it does perhaps feel like there is a desire to delay the important work we have in front of us today. I was hoping to bring forward this unanimous consent motion. That way, we could have a path forward as a committee to be able to resolve the issue that was brought forward.

Mr. Chair, the unanimous consent motion I'd like to bring forward—

[An hon. member]

[Inaudible—Editor]

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

Colleagues, one moment.

Ms. Barron has the floor. Even if a member has the intention to not give consent to a UC motion, we have to hear the motion first. She has the floor. She'll continue to have the floor until she relinquishes it.

Ms. Barron, go ahead.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

Go ahead, Mr. Cooper.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Chair, when it is clear that there is a lack of consent, that ends the matter. That should end the matter.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

Go ahead on that point of order, Mr. Turnbull.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

My understanding is that in the House when you move a unanimous consent motion, that's possibly the rule, such as after question period. In this particular case, Ms. Barron has the floor, which means she's allowed to speak until she cedes the floor, right? That's the rule in committee.

She could have not mentioned that she needed unanimous consent. She could have just spoken to this and then asked for that at the end. To be honest, I think—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

Thank you, Mr. Turnbull.

Colleagues, no advice that I'm being given is inconsistent with my judgment here, which is that until Ms. Barron relinquishes the floor, the floor is hers.

Ms. Barron, I'll return the floor to you.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the clarification around the important processes we take.

The resolution I'm wanting to bring forward is an opportunity. I hope my Conservative colleagues really consider this before shutting it down. They haven't even heard the unanimous consent motion I'd like to bring forward. The one I'm hoping to bring forward today actually resolves the exact issues they have brought forward as a concern which, again, I share. This resolution is seeking the committee to move to the clause of this bill that benefits MP pensions and to see it resolved by bringing us directly to a vote on amendment NDP-2 to clause 5.

If we went to a vote on this clause directly—

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

—we would be able to see, as a committee—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

Ms. Barron, just one moment. I'm sorry. There's a point of order.

Mr. Berthold, you have the floor.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Chair, we are currently studying clause 2. I question the relevance of my colleague's proposal.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

Mr. Berthold, with all due respect, the fact that we are currently considering clause 2 makes no difference, since a committee member can propose a motion at any time. This is what Ms. Barron has chosen to do. She can continue.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

I'm listening, Mr. Berthold.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

In that case, we need to have the motion that Ms. Barron wants to propose. We don't have it at the moment. So we can't discuss it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

It's true that we must have the motion after it has been presented.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

No, Mr. Chair. The member has to present the motion and then there's a debate on the motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

I don't totally agree, Mr. Berthold.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

I would invite you, please, to consult the experts on this subject.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ben Carr]

One moment, please, I'll do that.

Mr. Berthold, as you requested, I have consulted the experts who are here today. They agree with my decision that Ms. Barron can present her motion. In fact, a week ago, you also made a motion before it was distributed. This is no different.

So I'm going to give the floor back to Ms. Barron.

Colleagues and, Mr. Berthold, of course you are welcome to challenge the chair's decision on this. It's a dilatory motion, which is non-debatable. If you'd like to challenge the chair's ruling, I'd encourage you to do it now. If not, I'm not going to recognize the same point of order. Would you like to challenge it?