Human Resources Committee on Feb. 14th, 2007

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Chair, we can't operate this way because each of us could introduce a motion and still question what we've decided. The purpose of the motion I've just introduced is to sustain the decision we've made. I'm doing it to help the Chair maintain the order of business.

Mr. Chair, we can't debate it because we don't question the order we've established. If someone wants to question it, he need only vote against my motion and it will be called into question. It seems to me we have to proceed with the vote now in order to maintain the our order of business and to begin clause-by-clause consideration.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Mr. Brown.

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Allison.

As we debate Mr. Lessard's motion, I—

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

I want you to make a ruling.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

I'm sorry, Mr. Brown.

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

Who has the floor? Everyone's courtesy—

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

I have respectfully submitted to you that this could be debated at this stage, and you haven't given a ruling. I would therefore like to hear your ruling on the subject.

[Russ Hiebert, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC]

On a point of order, I believe the chair has already ruled on your motion. He's indicated that it's debatable, so I think it's incumbent upon this committee to abide by his ruling. Instead of continuing to interrupt Mr. Brown, perhaps you could have the respect to let him speak.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Mr. Lessard, on the same point of order.

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Chair, I would prefer to hear your ruling from your mouth rather than that of our colleague Russ Hiebert, because we've appointed you the Chair of the committee.

Thus far, I haven't heard your ruling.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you, Mr. Lessard.

I had said the motion was debatable. If you'd like to challenge me on that, then by all means, you're free to do that.

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

I challenge your ruling, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

The vote is that the decision of the chair be sustained.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

Can we get a recorded vote, please?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Certainly.

[Ruling of the chair overturned: (See Minutes of Proceedings)]

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

The chair has been overruled, so we are going to move to the clause that was put forward by Mr. Lessard. We're going to go back to clause-by-clause.

On a point of order, Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

On a point of order, I'd like some clarification. In terms of the motion that we left at the end of the last meeting, can someone explain to me why that wouldn't still be on the table?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you, Mr. Lake.

There's no order paper that says explicitly what will be done. The committee operates on its own agenda in terms of how we want to proceed. There were, obviously, motions brought forward. We talked about setting the calendar. I know this motion was brought forward yesterday, so we left the business to talk about that motion.

As we started, it was put to you whether we continue with that motion or not. Since we don't have an order paper that lays it out, the committee will decide, as a whole, which direction it will head into. I have been challenged on Mr. Lessard's motion as to whether we would go back. I said it was debatable. I've been challenged on that. It's just been voted down, so now we're moving back into clause-by-clause.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

So to clarify then, if we're in the middle of debate on a motion and someone else moves a motion to adjourn the meeting, that debate concludes, it doesn't continue into the next meeting?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That is correct.

Okay. We are now going to vote that the committee proceed to clause-by-clause.

Mr. Lake.

[Russ Hiebert, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC]

Is this motion debatable?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

I think I have the floor.

I'd like to move a motion:

That in accordance with its order of reference of Wednesday, October 25, 2006, your committee has considered Bill C-257, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (replacement workers) and agreed to report the following: Bill C-257 fails to provide balance to both sides in the collective bargaining process and fails to address other issues reflected in the evidence presented by witnesses. Accordingly, your committee recommends, pursuant to Standing Order 97.1, that the House of Commons not proceed further with Bill C-257—

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Hold on one second, Mr. Lake. We do have a motion before the committee right now, so we need to dispense with that motion first. The motion was that the committee proceed to go to clause-by-clause.

What I will ask us to do now is see who is in favour of the motion that the committee proceed to clause-by-clause.

It will be a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Lessard.

(Motion agreed to: [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Go ahead, Mr. Lake.