Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 28th, 2008

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

Let me finish my point of order and then you can argue against it if you wish. I'm speaking to the chair and through the chair to the clerk.

The information he requires flowed out of another meeting that had no connection or relation to the meeting here today. I would suggest it is out of order for him to spring a motion in respect to matters raised at a previous meeting that are not in relation to this meeting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Order, please.

I'm not taking anything else on that right now, Mr. Karygiannis, until I get some advice from the clerk as to the suitability.

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

Since you accepted our voting on the amendment, then the motion must also stand.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Well, we'll get the clerk's interpretation of that, please.

[The Clerk]

It's normal that the committee return to consider and further debate a motion as required, even if an amendment is defeated.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

So the motion is in order?

[The Clerk]

I'm getting there.

If the amendment is defeated, the unamended motion is still there in front of the committee, and if they need to debate it, they can continue to debate it. The question is not summarily put.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Okay. The motion is in order, according to my expert here to my left. I will call the vote.

(Motion negatived)

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Now may we move on to the committee's consideration of the estimates?

I want to thank you first of all for coming, Madam Minister, and to thank your deputy minister and Mr. Ganim for their presence here today.

Hopefully at today's end we'll be able to tell you that your estimates are off to the House from this committee. If not, of course, they're deemed to be passed anyway.

Thank you.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

I would ask committee members now to come to order. We are calling up the votes.

Go ahead, Ms. Chow.

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

Can I just clarify? In front of us are four votes--

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

There are three votes--

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

On the main estimates it's votes 1, 5, and 10. Then the supplementary estimate is vote 1a.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

Right.

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

If I want to delete one section, which is approximately $3.2 million.... It's under transportation and communication. It's part of the supplementary estimates. It's part of vote 1a. I do not want to defeat the entire $19 million--

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

If I could just interrupt you for a moment, maybe we'll save some time here. Procedural notes say that the committee may adopt, reduce, or negative each vote. However, no motion may be moved that attaches a condition or expression of an opinion to a vote--so what you're saying, Madam Chow, is out of order.

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

I'm not expressing any opinion. I'm not adding and I'm not transferring. I'm--

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

You're attaching the condition, and you're not allowed to attach a condition or an expression of opinion.

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

I'm not trying to attach any condition.

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

We'll just hang on until the vote. When the vote is called, you may, as the clerk says, intervene with reductions and what have you.

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

I just wanted clarification, that's all. If I want to reduce, let's say, the advertisement portion of the supplementary estimates--

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

After the vote is called you can do that.

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

And that's vote 1a, right?

[The Chair, Conservative, Norman Doyle]

That's vote 1a of the supplementary estimates.