Evidence of meeting #84 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
Once again, any member who wants to leave this committee is free to go and attend QP.
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Well, yes, it's my mistake.
Mr. Opitz is ahead of you, and I apologize to him.
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ted Opitz Conservative Etobicoke Centre, ON
That's okay, Mr. Chair.
I agree with my honourable friend. If the member feels like getting up and going to QP, he's free to do that. This committee has important work to do, and we elect to stay here and work on this important issue.
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
As I was saying, any member of this committee is free to vacate this committee, go to QP, and watch the whole of it. As I said before, I'm prepared to sit right through until we are able to vote on a simple motion that should have taken less than two minutes, but here we are a week later. After several suspensions and adjournments, after calling a chair in England to commence a new committee, and after all the other business that has gone on, I'm prepared to sit right through. This bill is that important.
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
1:05 p.m.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
I would urge you to use your own judgment on this as chair of the committee. We hear the government members deciding to abuse the rights of members of this committee by having it meet during question period. There's an expectation that members of every caucus attend question period. Anybody who has been following it from outside, people who are watching on TV, know that caucus members are expected to attend. The whips expect caucus members to attend question period.
If the government whip has told the members opposite that they don't have to be at question period today, that's fine; they're exercising their individual rights. But I think you as chair—
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Mr. Harris, I've heard enough because we're getting all these issues.
I'm going to read Standing Order 115(5):
Notwithstanding Standing Orders 108(1)(a) and 113(5), the Chair of a standing, special, legislative or joint committee shall suspend the meeting when the bells are sounded to call in the Members to a recorded division, unless there is unanimous consent of the members of the committee to continue to sit.
There is no other requirement that we suspend, or adjourn, or anything else. I had the practice yesterday of adjourning at 2:30 because I was led to believe there were going to be votes. I'm led to believe there are going to be votes today after question period ends. There will be no bells for that. It is my intention to suspend the meeting at 1:30 so that members can get not to hear question period but to vote.
What did I say? I'm sorry. It is my intention to suspend at 2:30, but not for the purposes of being part of question period. I understand your arguments and the other arguments for and against. That's what we did yesterday and that's what I'd like to do today.
As it turned out, there were no votes yesterday. We suspended anyway. I'm assuming there are votes today and therefore I will be suspending at 2:30.
Ms. Sims has the floor.
1:05 p.m.
NDP
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
We'll go to Mr. Christopherson and you can come back another time.
Mr. Christopherson.
1:05 p.m.
NDP
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
1:05 p.m.
NDP
1:05 p.m.
Conservative
1:05 p.m.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
I was seeking to put on the floor that the principle of respecting certain things happening—
