Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Nov. 20th, 2007

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

I have one other question then. If I want the supplementary estimates to come here before they get to the House, say, on Thursday, the day after tomorrow, would I be able to make the motion today, or do I need to give 48 hours' notice? I'm just using that as an example, because that is something we will probably have to do.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Clerk.

[The Clerk]

As this is committee business, and that relates directly to committee business, I would advise that this would be in order.

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

So it does not require 48 hours' notice.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Mr. Karygiannis.

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

Mr. Chair, as long as the motion gets to the clerk 48 hours in advance of our meeting, I would say that's sufficient. This is the practice we had in the past. This is the practice that should continue. I don't see why we require any changes.

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

It's important not when the clerk gets it, it's important when we get it. That's the significant issue. So I'm saying if the clerk gets it, he should immediately send it to us--it's simultaneous--but if it gets stalled in the clerk's office, we may not get it in time. It should be 48 hours from the time that the notice was sent out.

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

Chair, in all due respect, I think it would be up to the clerk to make sure that once the clerk does get it, it should be distributed. So once you send it in, if it's in fair time.... If we're sitting here and a motion is passed to the clerk, the clerk has to go back to send that out. So it should be 48 hours from the time it gets to the hands of the clerk, and the clerk should do due diligence to make sure we get it in ample time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Are we all ready for the question?

(Amendment agreed to)

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

Mr. Chair, under motions I had one other amendment. Again, it's something that—

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Is it with regard to this particular motion, the one we just passed?

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

Right, but a different aspect of it.

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

Mr. Chair, why weren't they moved together?

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

Well, because there are two different subject areas. I thought I'd make it simple for you, Jim. No--I take that back.

One was to do with notice, and was a technical matter. This one has to do with the substantive issue. After the words “Clerk of the Committee”, we would add,

and that all motions shall be moved by their sponsor within two meetings of their first being listed on the agenda as committee business, failing which, the motion shall be deemed abandoned by the mover and shall be dispensed with and may no longer be subject to committee consideration.

What we have had happen is motions get filed and never get dealt with. They keep sitting in the basket, so to speak, and then they're hooped out of the basket whenever. We're saying if there's a motion that is put before this committee, it should be moved within two meetings of its being brought before this committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Okay. Is there discussion?

Mr. Karygiannis, Ms. Chow, and Madame Faille.

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

Chair, we never had this in the past. All the motions that were moved were dealt with. I'm not sure where Mr. Komarnicki is getting his information that they were sitting in the basket. As far as I can remember, in this committee we never had that, and I don't see the use of having to say that if they're not moved, they'd be disposed of and not be able to be brought back.

I'm certain that any member of this committee can bring back a motion, even if he or she is not here.

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

But then they have to give the 48 hours' notice. What I've found in the past is that we have a motion brought before us, then for one reason or another it's not dealt with. But the 48 hours has been complied with. Then you come to a meeting and you have to deal with that motion, because the mover wants to move it.

I'm saying that if the mover wants to move it and gives us notice, he should move it within two meetings, and if he doesn't, then he needs to start again.

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

But Mr. Chair, wouldn't the mover need unanimous consent in order to move it?

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

No, because it's already been moved and it's in the basket, so to speak. This would prevent that from happening. If after two meetings you haven't moved it, it falls off and you have to start again. That's what the intent of the motion is.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Okay.

I think I have Madame Faille and Ms. Chow.

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Again, I think the committee must remain the master of its own destiny. This kind of motion makes our way of operating more cumbersome in that it will be tabled again and reviewed in the priorities. I feel that it is completely unnecessary. We have never operated in this manner.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I see no more hands. We'll go to a vote on the amendment.

(Amendment negatived)

Are there any amendments to the motion on the designation of an acting chair?

Okay, passed.

We'll go to the motion on the main and supplementary estimates:

That, whenever the Main Estimates or the Supplementary Estimates are tabled in the House, the Committee invite the Minister and appropriate senior officials to appear at a televised meeting of the Committee, if possible.

There are no amendments.

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

Chair, I have a point of clarification. Should that be done, then before the amendments are moved, especially in the main estimates, the chair should exercise due caution and not railroad us as has been the practice in the past. I do remember a meeting, sir, when you just sort of railroaded, when there was a motion on the floor. You just didn't listen at all.

So that is just a caution.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Was that during supplementary estimates?

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

Yes, sir.