Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 13th, 2013

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Put me back on the list, then, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

No, there's no more list. You can finish what you're saying as long as you don't get into where you're going.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

What I want to say is that I absolutely believe we have a fifth estate. There is a reason for that. I believe in freedom of speech. I respect that. I believe in open and transparent government. I will always support and respect those.

Notwithstanding all of that, we have a question of privilege that's been raised by a member. What we're here to do now is to debate that. I think people have already gathered how I may feel about that question of privilege, but in order to be fair to the member, I need to see what he is raising. I don't have that, and I don't have a hard copy of that.

We're here to discuss an extension, but now we're looking at a question of privilege, and the privilege actually refers to some comments. I don't know where my colleague intends to go with this privilege and what the chair is going to say about it, but in the meantime, I have to express what we're here to do. What we're here to do is ensure discussion on the recommendation that asks for an extension so that it gives the government an opportunity to go to the House to seek an expanded scope to change the content of a bill that a private member has put forward.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Thank you, Ms. Sims.

Ms. James, you have the final say.

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Actually I'm glad you said that because this is just another attempt to delay the initial vote. I'm asking procedural—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Ms. James, please proceed. It's a question of privilege.

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

I'm asking you to rule on that question of privilege and get back to the original motion.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Thank you, Mr. Nicholls, for drawing it to my attention.

We've had one question of privilege before, and I'm going to read the definition of privilege to you. This is out of the good book, page 145. If the situation “infringed upon any Member’s ability to perform his or her parliamentary functions or appears to be a contempt against the dignity of Parliament.”

That was the crunch of your submission, that you feel this article is a contempt against the dignity of, in this case, the committee. I guess one could look at that point of view, and on the other hand, we can look at all the arguments that were raised, particularly by Mr. Menegakis, which talk about the issue of freedom of the press. In fact, several members on both sides referred to it. Over the years I've certainly been criticized; I'm criticized in this committee, for heaven's sake. I've had members on both sides question rulings. I've been challenged by both sides on the rulings I've made. That's the way the system goes: you do your best and I do my best, and if I'm wrong, the committee will tell me I'm wrong. I've listened to the quote you've given from an article in the Ottawa Sun, and I'm taking the position that the freedom of the press is superior—I may not be using the right word—or has higher priority than your fear that there has been a contempt against the dignity of this committee.

I thank you for drawing it to our attention. I will therefore rule that this is not a question of privilege.

Thank you very much, sir, for drawing it to our attention. This has been an interesting debate. You, sir, are on the list to speak to the main motion.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Chair, on a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Point of order.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

I hate to do this. Maybe it's sitting here and drinking too much cold water, but I would really appreciate a five-minute comfort break, just five minutes, no more.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Go ahead, Ms. James.

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Once again, Mr. Chair, we don't need a mass exodus to the bathroom. In fact there are only two stalls in the women's bathroom, so if all of the ladies who are in here, including the clerks and all the analysts, went to the bathroom, we actually could not get that particular business done within five minutes.

I'm reminding the member opposite that she's free to leave her chair, walk through the door that's just a few feet away, go around the corner to the bathroom, and she could be back here in three minutes.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

We don't take breaks for lunches. We don't take breaks for dinners. We're hard-working here.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Point of order, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Another point of order?

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Yes.

Chair, I am quite comfortable not taking a break for lunch, not taking a break for a cup of tea or a cup of coffee, but I think when it actually comes to taking a comfort break—and let me be clear, to go to the washroom—I don't want to miss the debate in this room.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Well, I recommend you get a substitute, Ms. Sims. If you're that desperate, you get a substitute.

We have Mr. Harris who can take the floor.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Do I have the floor?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

You had the floor, but you told me you were leaving.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

I'm not leaving. I believe Mr. Nicholls has the floor.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

You have the floor. I have Mr. Nicholls after you.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Thank you, Chair. As I really do have to go to the washroom, that's where I will be going. I just wanted to let you know.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

All right. Thank you for telling us.

Go ahead, Mr. Nicholls.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Chair, I want to thank you for your ruling on the question of privilege.

Mr. Chair, I'm going to be fairly brief. We're here to talk about the 30-day extension, but it appears that we're not allowed to talk about the reason for the extension. Is it correct that's been the ruling that has been given in the past?