Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Nov. 15th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Well, I think the clerk was trying to determine if we could split the motion.

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

Well, of course we can split the motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Let's just say we can split the motion.

The motion is before us.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Which one?

Mr. Chair, are we just adopting the routine procedure, or are we adopting the routine procedure and something else?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

He doesn't have unanimous consent from everyone to change the motion, so that's the problem.

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

Mr. Chairman, I could make an amendment that we split the motion. I mean, if we split the motion, then we can deal with them individually.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Okay, we'll hear the motion in a moment.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Chair, to make life easier, do you want me to move an amendment to split the motion in two? The first motion would be the routine proceedings, and the second part would be the committee merely bringing back all the items. Would that help?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

That would help.

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

On a point of order, the motion is as the motion is. It was seconded, it's on the floor and it's been debated. The point of order is two things: you either have to have notice for routine proceedings and the other part of the motion to do it or not. The clerk has to decide that. If he decides you don't need notice, my point was that you can't have two subject matters in the same motion, because if one is accepted, you have to give 24 hours' notice. He's tying in another motion.

So I'm saying the motion should fail, period, for that reason. He needs to rule on that specifically. We can't amend it without consent, and there won't be consent to amend it. So you deal with that motion, good or bad, as it is—and I think it's deficient.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

So the original motion would be that the committee resume all studies under way at the time of prorogation and that the steering committee engage to adopt a program to complete....

We'll give the clerk a moment here, please, and then when the clerk is back at the table, I'll have a little....

Then we will vote on this motion and get under way. This is just totally ridiculous.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I tried to submit my motion before the beginning of this meeting--everybody may have received a copy on war resisters--because I wanted to give everybody notice. I understand that there was no routine procedure established at that time and that's why my motion was not accepted.

If we are accepting motions today prior to routine procedures being established, I want to offer to you that my motion that I have duly translated, submitted prior to the meeting, and which may have even met the 48 hours' notice, should also be accepted. I want to say that in advance.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Whether or not the rules under routine motions were adopted, you would still require 48 hours' notice of motion.

Mr. Clerk.

[The Clerk]

Mr. Komarnicki raised a point of order suggesting that it be divided.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Let me cite Marleau and Montpetit on the division of a motion:

When a complicated motion comes before the House (for example, a motion containing two or more parts each capable of standing on its own), the Speaker has the authority to modify it and thereby facilitate decision-making for the House.

Or for the committee, I would imagine.

When any Member objects to a motion that contains two or more distinct propositions, he or she may request that the motion be divided and that each proposition be debated and voted on separately.

I guess that puts it to bed. It can be done separately.

The first motion is that the committee resume all studies under way at the time of prorogation, and that the steering committee engage to adopt a program to complete them.

Will I call for the vote?

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

You have to split the motion, choose one to be first, and then vote on it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Part one would be that the committee readopt all routine motions at the time of prorogation. Let's deal with that motion.

[Dave Batters, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

I thought we were discussing that on Tuesday. Do you want to discuss that right now?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

That is the motion that was put on the floor and is being dealt with now.

[Dave Batters, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

We didn't speak to that, then. If we're doing routine proceedings right now, we need to speak.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

That's fair enough. It's fair that the committee would want time to speak to that motion, so I'm going to allow some discussion on that.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Is it motions or proceedings? I'm sorry, I heard proceedings.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

It's motions.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

So we're not adopting routine proceedings, procedures, all the rules and regulations?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

The clerk tells me that routine proceedings is the incorrect term in this setting. It's routine motions. It calls for proposals for routine motions.

We will have a brief discussion on that, please.

Mr. Batters.