Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Nov. 15th, 2007

[Dave Batters, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

First of all, if we're going to discuss routine motions, routine proceedings, or whatever wording we're going to use, it would be nice to have a copy of that in front of each of us before getting into this debate. Perhaps the clerk can have his assistants circulate those materials.

One thing I would like to address with this committee is the speaking order. I'm going to advocate that this committee is reflective of the House of Commons for a reason: the number in the committee, the government members, the Liberal members, the Bloc members, and the NDP members. The committees are struck in a certain way to reflect the number of seats in the House of Commons.

It makes common sense for each and every member of this committee to have a chance to speak if they wish to do so before we go back to another member a second time. In other words, however it's set up, if the Liberals start and it goes to the Conservatives, the Bloc, the Liberals, and back to the Conservatives--

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

That's what the routine--

[Dave Batters, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

I want to verify that's exactly the way they are, because I don't believe that is the case, Mr. Telegdi.

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

It is the case.

[Dave Batters, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

I want to be able to verify with the clerk that this is the case, because I've been on--

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I have it before me right here. That is the case.

The motion would be that the committee readopt all routine motions in effect at the time of prorogation. And this was in effect at the time of prorogation.

[Dave Batters, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Chair, would you answer this question then. Are you going to guarantee that every member is going to have a chance to speak, for example, before Ms. Chow, the lone NDP member, is able to speak twice because it goes back to the NDP turn?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Yes, that's what we have.

[Dave Batters, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

I've been on committees where it hasn't worked that way and it has been a disaster, so I just want to confirm that.

Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Batters.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Can I call the vote, please?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

No, you can't. I can.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Okay. Can I move that you call the vote, please?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Before I call the vote, Mr. Komarnicki would like to speak.

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

You've circulated routine motions. I take it from the clerk that is what we were operating from the last time. But I look at the second from the top, which is the subcommittee on agenda and procedure. On the subcommittee on agenda and procedure was the chair, the two vice-chairs, and now it says a member of the other opposition party. In fact we were operating with a member from our party. It was a sitting member of our party who was the other member. We must have changed that somewhere along the way.

I'm not satisfied that these routine proceedings are in fact the routine proceedings as amended over the course of time that brought us to where we left off. If the clerk is prepared to certify they are, that one I think is not correct. Mr. Devolin was sitting in our--

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

Two Conservatives, two Liberals, one Bloc, and one NDP.

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

We had two Conservatives. We had Mr. Devolin sitting on the committee and Mr. Doyle. This doesn't read that way. We changed it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

It reads that the subcommittee on agenda and procedure be composed of the chair--

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

The two vice-chairs.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

The two vice-chairs, which would be Mr. Telegdi and Madam Faille, and a member of the other opposition party, which would be the NDP.

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

But in fact we had Mr. Devolin sitting there.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

We had Mr. Devolin, and I was on there as well.

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

So we changed something somewhere along the way.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I'm going to hear Mr. Telegdi first.

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

I think we should put this off until Tuesday. We've ended up wasting a whole lot of time. I want to get the actual procedures we operated by. I would ask the clerk to make sure we get the right one, and then we'll deal with it on Tuesday.

I move to adjourn.