Evidence of meeting #1 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was motions.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Well, I think the clerk was trying to determine if we could split the motion.
Liberal
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Let's just say we can split the motion.
The motion is before us.
NDP
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?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
He doesn't have unanimous consent from everyone to change the motion, so that's the problem.
Liberal
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.
NDP
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?
Conservative
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.
Conservative
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.
NDP
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.
Conservative
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.
Conservative
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?
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
You have to split the motion, choose one to be first, and then vote on it.
Conservative
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.
Conservative
Dave Batters Conservative Palliser, SK
I thought we were discussing that on Tuesday. Do you want to discuss that right now?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
That is the motion that was put on the floor and is being dealt with now.
Conservative
Dave Batters Conservative Palliser, SK
We didn't speak to that, then. If we're doing routine proceedings right now, we need to speak.
Conservative
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.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
So we're not adopting routine proceedings, procedures, all the rules and regulations?
Conservative
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.