Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 10th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Could you repeat that slowly?

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

“Be it further resolved that the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration request the Chair to issue a press release and call a press conference on behalf of the committee”—

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

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Just wait until he finishes his amendment.

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

That's the point of order.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

--“to outline the committee's concerns on this issue.”

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Komarnicki and Mr. Eyking.

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

The point of order is this. Mr. Siksay is moving into another substantive matter on an issue that's not in the form of an amendment to the motion that just passed. If he wants to put a notice of motion to the effect that he's talking about, let him give appropriate notice. But it's certainly not an appropriate amendment to the main motion to cause the chair to issue a press release as part of the motion. I don't think that's appropriate.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Eyking.

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

I think a press conference is a little over the top here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I think so, too.

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

A press release is not too bad, but a press conference makes it a little more.... I think we have to deal with our own homework here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Please have some concern for the chair.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

I'll withdraw the press conference reference if that gains the support of the majority of the committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Komarnicki.

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

I'd like to get a ruling on that. Is it appropriate to make an amendment to a motion like that?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Yes, the clerk informs me it is.

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

It's interesting how that is. What's the basis to say it's an appropriate amendment when it deals with--

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I guess the clerk is basing it on the fact that there's nothing in the Standing Orders that would prevent it, so he's more or less looking for you to tell us what it is about it that is not in order.

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

I thought we had a ruling previously that if it doesn't clarify or deal with the essence of the motion, if it's not part of that, then it's a separate motion on its own feet and it can't be an amendment. I think I was one of the people who proposed an amendment and it was ruled out of order because of that very fact.

[The Clerk]

I'd like to repeat the amendment, if possible.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Okay.

[The Clerk]

Just so we're talking about the same thing:

Be it further resolved that the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration request that the Chair issue a press release on behalf of the committee to outline the committee's concern on this issue.

The press release is about this issue, so it's not a separate item.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Telegdi.

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

I might point out to you, Mr. Chair, that I used to do that on a regular basis when we used to do reports. We'd call a press conference and drive it home that we needed a change.