Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 21st, 2006

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

You have a minute for me; I know that, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Let's try to do this fairly quickly, because we have clause-by-clause consideration waiting here, and we can vote on this amendment--

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

I wouldn't want to take extra time, Mr. Chairman, debating whether I'm going to speak, because I think I will now that I've been recognized.

I just wanted to point out that this particular motion, while it's well intended--

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

It's on the amendment.

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

It's on the amendment, yes; it deals with...on the amendment?

The amendment is actually an attempt to push down the road the analysis of the policy issue, to review it before reporting, so if it's just that--

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

We've already indicated that the motion is in order.

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Good. Well, it's just on the motion; it's simple, and that would push it down the road.

I'll shut up now and you can put the motion, if you will.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

We're talking about the amendment. The motion has already been ruled on.

Are we ready for the question on the--

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Excuse me, Mr. Chair. I've asked for an answer on the part of the clerk on the technicalities of what I've asked for. I would like to get some information on that.

[The Clerk]

The experience with this committee all last year, when we must have adopted five motions the same way, was that then we made it a report back to the House. That's how the committee has been acting, and it's in the proper form. We make a recommendation, and then the committee adopts it as a report to the House and then orders the chair to report it to the House.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

If I wanted to make a motion that this committee ask the government to stop the deportation, is this something I would do after and if this particular motion is defeated? Is that correct?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

You'd have to give notice of motion, yes.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

I'd have to give notice of motion.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Is the clerk saying in effect that a motion pure and simple, as suggested by Madame Folco, actually goes to the House as a report and has all of the incidences to it of Standing Order 108, which would be still subject to the same issues I raised as being an objection, because—

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

I'm sorry, Mr. Komarnicki, but let me add to that. It would not rule out the suggestion you made earlier for the fall. On the contrary, it would add to it.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Accepting this presupposes that we take a course of action now, or suggest that the government do so, without having heard a shred of evidence of any kind. That's why the amendment would say, before a report goes to the House with a recommendation, that there be a basis for that recommendation, which we don't now have before this committee.

I still feel that it doesn't really address.... If it's going to go in the form of a report, it's going to have all of the incidences of Standing Order 108 that the motion proposes in the first place. My amendment would suggest that it not go forward as a report to the House, but rather await a proper report when we give it due consideration in September. I'm saying in effect it would not cause us any essential delay. The government has not made any more deportations and has taken due consideration, as past policy has shown, and the government is already taking into consideration humanitarian and compassionate grounds as we speak

I'm saying that before we put a motion forward, we should really deal with the amendment and put the matter to the committee, to study along with the undocumented workers, and have a report in the fall that actually goes to the House for a decision but has some basis upon which we can proceed and go forward. My sense is that even a watered-down motion still goes to the House by way of a report, accomplishing the same thing without a shred of material before this committee.

I would still ask this committee to support the amendment and do this in the proper fashion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

What the clerk was saying.... The reason we felt Mr. Siksay's motion was in order is that there were numerous reports that have gone to the House: the 16th report, on November 17, 2005; the 15th report, on November 17, 2005.... Numerous reports have gone to the House under a similar heading.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Then may I say to the clerk.... I'm not sure whether the clerk reviewed Marleau and Montpetit and Standing Order 108. We can do anything we want as a committee, if we agree. For instance, Mr. Telegdi's motion can go to the House by way of a report, because it's not something that's contentious, and we all agree and think it's a good thing. We can have those kinds of things go forward. But to say it's pursuant to Standing Order 108 and to say that it's pursuant—

[Blair Wilson, Liberal, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

On a point of order, the chair has ruled. Why are we debating?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

What we're going to do now is vote on the new motion, the amended motion, “That the standing committee review and report to the House with respect to the issue of placing an immediate moratorium on...” Well, you have the motion.

(Motion negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Shall the report carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Just before, I want to make a motion—

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

That is the motion that was already ruled on.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

I want to speak to the motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

But it's already been ruled on.