Citizenship and Immigration Committee on March 29th, 2007

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

I will speak to the amendment.

For the benefit of those who just recently came to this committee and are raising matters of order with respect to the amendment, what we have here is a bill that has come to this committee for the first time today. With respect to a bill that has not yet been proclaimed, the committee members are trying to jam through all of the witnesses in one day, without full and adequate discussion and questions to each witness with respect to relevant portions of the amendments to the bill.

They have already indicated that five years have passed and circumstances have changed. Ministers have changed position because of the passage of time and the differences in the system. They have indicated that there are amendments that need to be considered—

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

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

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

—from a practical point of view, and we haven't had the opportunity to fully canvass—

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

There's a point of order. Mr. Wilson.

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

I'd just like to add—

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

We haven't been able to fully canvass—

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

Excuse me, but who has the floor?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Komarnicki.

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

—from those witnesses, all of the—

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Komarnicki, Mr. Wilson has a point of order on the floor.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I just wanted to bring to your attention that the government of the day, the Conservative Party, is now filibustering in every single committee on Parliament Hill at this time.

[Andrew Telegdi, Liberal, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

This is not democracy.

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

This is an affront to democracy, this is an affront to the parliamentary system, and this is an affront to the members who are giving their valuable time to represent the people right here and to the witnesses who are sitting before us. We're wasting their time.

Canadians didn't elect this Parliament—

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

On a point of order, that's debate, and he should know better.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Order, please.

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

—to filibuster. They elected us to get something done.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Order, please.

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

Stop this filibustering. The Conservatives are doing it from one end of the Hill to the other end.

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

You're misleading this committee. You should be ashamed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Order, please.

Filibustering is an age-old parliamentary trick, and it has been going on for a long time.

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

I'm making a valid point.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I'm going back to Mr. Komarnicki.

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

You can hardly call it filibustering when someone wants to ask witnesses before this committee some pertinent questions on relevant issues. We normally have seven-minute rounds, five-minute rounds, and two-minute rounds, and this committee is not prepared to give us the benefit of that with respect to witnesses.

[Andrew Telegdi, Liberal, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

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

This amendment that I want to speak to—