Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 11th, 2013

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

The chair is going to appeal to all members of the committee. As a teacher, one of the things I used to hate was to admonish those who were behaving perfectly fine. I want to commend those of you who are not part of the noise machine. As for the rest of you, I want to remind you that there is a certain level of decorum we expect at a parliamentary committee. This is not question period. So I ask you to keep it so that we can hear Madame Groguhé.

Mr. Opitz, do you have a point of order?

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

It's the same point of order.

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Could you state it, please?

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

I had started off talking about relevance. As a former serving lieutenant-colonel in the Canadian Forces, I want to point out that we're talking about advancing the citizenship of people who are permanent residents, who put their lives on the line for Canada, who risk it all, who go into universal service—

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Mr. Opitz, if I might—

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

I'm not done. Can I finish my point?

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

No, you are getting into debate. You're not making a point of order.

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

I'm about to finish my point. You gave everybody else latitude.

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Okay, then, make your point of order.

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

I think you should give me a moment's latitude to make the point.

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Your point of order has to do with decorum?

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Yes, it does.

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Okay, Mr. Opitz.

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

I have a point of order.

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

The decorum is—

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Mr. Opitz, you are entering into debate and not speaking to a point of order.

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

I am not entering into the debate; I'm entering into the point—

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

You are entering into debate of the bill, and you will have lots of opportunity to do that.

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

But the point of order is the conduct and decorum of the speaker, and that's the point. The point is on the bill, and the bill is about people advancing their citizenship through service to Canada. The bill is about making sure that people don't commit acts of terrorism against Canadian Forces. Many of my buddies were killed overseas, and that's the point of the discussion.

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Okay.

I think it's going to be a very fun evening tonight, and I can't wait for the rest of it to proceed. I'm going to go to Ms. Sitsabaiesan.

Do you have a point of order or a point of privilege?

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Privilege.

[The Vice-Chair (Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims), NDP, Jinny Sims]

Okay. State your privilege.

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Thank you.

Madam Chair, I really tried not to bring this up because.... I tried not to, but I really had to. My question of privilege, Madam Chair, is that in this committee, time and time again, women are not treated equitably.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[An hon. member]

A point of order.