Human Resources Committee on April 29th, 2024

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

It's a very simple yes or no.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Mr. Gerretsen, I have a point of order from Ms. Gray.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We don't have any information. We don't have a copy of the motion.

I'm not sure what we're even debating here. We don't have any information.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you.

I have Ms. Falk. Is it on the same point of order?

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Yes. Thank you.

I know that Mr. Gerretsen is new to our committee, but it has been common practice that we all receive copies in both official languages via email or in print before we go forward.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I understand that the clerk now has a copy of Mr. Gerretsen's motion in both official languages and is circulating it.

Mr. Coteau, while we're waiting for that, on the motion...?

I'm sorry. Just give me a moment. I'll wait until the motion is properly received.

Okay. The clerk has advised me that the motion has been circulated in both official languages.

With that, I'm going to Mr. Coteau.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Go ahead on a point of order, Ms. Gray.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Chair, could we have a brief adjournment so that we could actually read this before we start discussions?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

You would like a suspension.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Yes. I would like a suspension for five minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I'll grant that. We're suspended for five minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Committee members, thank you.

We had a suspension at the request of Madam Gray. I will give the floor back to her.

Also, then, Mr. Coteau had his hand up. I'll go to him after Ms. Gray.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

What we have here is a motion that was not put on notice. I know that the person who moved this motion isn't normally a member of this committee, so he may not be aware, but this committee had agreed to notices of motion.

What we have here right now is the minister talking about main estimates. That's the purpose. As well, in just a few minutes, another minister will be coming in to talk about main estimates.

With respect to notices of motion, I'll read what we agreed to as a committee. We said:

That a 48-hour notice, interpreted as two nights, be required for any substantive motion to be moved in committee, unless a substantive motion relates directly to business then under consideration, provided that:

(a) the notice be filed with the clerk of the committee no later than 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday;

(b) the motion be distributed to Members and the offices of the whips of each recognized party in both official languages by the clerk on the same day the said notice was transmitted if it was received no later than the deadline hour; [and]

(c) notices received after the deadline hour or on non-business days be deemed to have been received during the next business day;

and that [when] the committee is holding meetings outside the Parliamentary Precinct, no substantive motion may be moved.

Again, we are here on main estimates and we are meeting with ministers, so this motion does not appear to be in order at this time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Gray.

Before I get to that, I also am aware that the motion is relevant to the ministry at hand that is appearing before the committee, and I will take that into perspective. I will allow that it is relevant for the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion. It falls within that spectrum.

I take your point of order as valid, Mrs. Gray, but at this stage, I'll allow the debate to continue.

I'm going to Mr. Coteau, and then—

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Chair, I'd challenge that.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

On that same point of order, if I could, that's what I was trying to get in. May I?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I will accept a comment from you, and then Ms. Gray has challenged my ruling, so....

No. Actually, I'm going to stop it there. Ms. Gray has challenged my ruling when I ruled that the motion is relevant because of the ministry that is involved, but Ms. Gray has the right to challenge.

With that, it's left to the committee to uphold the decision of the chair or opine on the decision of the chair.

Clerk, please take a recorded vote. Shall the decision of the chair to allow the motion to proceed be sustained?

(Ruling of the chair sustained: yeas 6; nays 5)

With that, I take it the chair's decision has been upheld.

We'll go to Ms. Ferreri, who had—

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

It's Mr. Coteau.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Actually, you're correct. It's Mr. Coteau. I didn't see that.

I'm going to Mr. Coteau. Then I'm going to Mr. Gerretsen.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I will be supporting this motion. I think that in this day and age in this country, when we have politicians—but not only politicians, leaders of specific parties—getting involved with relationships and encounters with extreme far-right organizations, to not stand up to make an actual claim to denounce it is unacceptable.

You know, I can understand. I'd give the Leader of the Opposition the benefit of the doubt that he goes.... You know, he made a silly mistake. He pulled over and didn't know, perhaps, who the folks were, and saw some signs that attracted him to that specific spot. Then he gets there and realizes what he's gotten himself into. The fact that the Leader of the Opposition has not spoken of or denounced this issue—and this is the guy who wants to be prime minister of this country—is completely unacceptable.

As someone who has fought racism and hate for my entire political career, and also as someone who's been a victim of racism and hate, to have the Leader of the Opposition not take a position on this and to act as though it's just another day on the job is completely unacceptable. I would say that not only does he have to denounce what he's done, but he has to apologize to Canadians for what he's done, because it is completely unacceptable.

We're living in a world today where we see hate increasing. When we look around the world, we see the growth of far-right extremism. It is important that the Leader of the Opposition take a strong position and denounce hate and this specific incident and apologize to Canadians.

I would like to thank the member for introducing this motion at our committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Coteau.

It was Mr. Gerretsen that I'm going.... I believe Ms. Ferreri gave her speaking time to Mr. Seeback.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Okay. If she's going to lose her spot, then she can go ahead, but....

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I have Ms. Ferreri and then Mr. Gerretsen.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Then it's Mr. Seeback, right? I'm still on the list.