Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 13th, 2013

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Chair, I wasn't trying to challenge what you made clear about the discussion on this motion. In my comments on the 30-day extension, I have no intention of mentioning the amendments or referring to them. I am simply trying to establish the link to the request for a 30-day extension. It is clear to me that a causal link exists and is at the heart of the motion, which seeks a 30-day extension to provide for the possibility of expanding the scope of the bill. I have no intention of discussing matters that pertain to the amendments as far as expanding the bill's scope goes. That isn't my intention.

That said, we are against the idea of extending the period set aside to consider this bill by 30 days, because that extension would set a precedent in this matter. Why try to rework the schedule to allow for—I repeat and stress—the possibility of expanding the bill's scope?

The 30-day extension has nothing to do with Mr. Shory's initial bill. The actual reason behind the extension is to make it possible to override the bill using other considerations that would, as a result, amend—forgive me for using the word you don't like—the bill. If those considerations are at play, the real question is why not simply use a more direct approach and put forward a separate bill containing everything the government would like. That would put an end to our debate.

It is clear to us that the extension is being used as a procedural tactic to make us reconsider a bill we have already discussed in committee and heard witnesses speak to. As regards Bill C-425—

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Thank you, Madame Groguhé.

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

I can talk about the bill, after all.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

We have a point of order.

Mr. Dykstra.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Chairman, I have Ms. Groguhé's speech from last week, the nine hours she spent delivering it. I can read and quote almost verbatim the same things she's repeating now. I am completely—

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

No, absolutely not.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Yes, I have them right here. These are things you talked about.

I would appreciate, if she has something new to bring to the table or something different to bring to the table, hearing it. But a nine-hour speech covering off almost...well, a to z, soup to nuts, call it whatever you want, I'm not going to listen to again. And I will continue to interject with points of order. All of these comments that she's made are, for the record, in Hansard. They have been made already.

I'll start reading them instead of having to listen to her say them again.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

We'll have Mr. Menegakis, and then Ms. Sitsabaiesan.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Richmond Hill, ON]

I'd like to speak on that point of order, Mr. Chair.

It's a huge disrespect to me and other parliamentarians here around the table for someone who spoke for the better part of eight hours plus at this committee to now come back and repeat the stuff we heard for eight hours continuously just last week. It's the same process, the same meeting right now, which the opposition has been filibustering since last Tuesday morning at 8:45. To bring those remarks back in now, as if there were something new to offer that could not have been said in eight hours, quite frankly, I think it might be insulting even to the member herself, who feels she now has discovered something that in eight hours in a row in the previous week she couldn't communicate.

Certainly, there's nothing new there. We've heard all of this stuff before.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

I have—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

No, you'll have to wait. I have a speaking order, and you are on the list.

Ms. Sitsabaiesan.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I don't find that Madame Groguhé is repeating herself verbatim.

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

I did not repeat the same thing.

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

Looking at what she has in front of her....

Should I wait for the room to achieve some order? Sorry I don't understand; I don't think his mike was on; I couldn't hear what he was saying.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

I guess it's pretty much mutual.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Continue, Ms. Sitsabaiesan.

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

Thank you.

Looking at Ms. Groguhé when she was speaking, I remember when she was speaking for a very long time, because she had a lot to say. She had pre-written typed-up notes, and she was reading our her pre-written notes. Mr. Dykstra is accusing her of repeating what she had repeated last week verbatim, and if so, I would like him to actually read and see if it is actually verbatim. I don't believe what she is saying here today is verbatim.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Ms. Sitsabaiesan, my problem—and this is directed to you, Madame Groguhé—is that I wasn't present last week. Quite frankly, I don't want to hear Mr. Dykstra go on and read pages and pages. I don't want to hear nine hours of debate. I don't want to do that.

Madame Groguhé is next, then Mr. Dykstra and Ms. Sims.

Have you finished, Ms. Sitsabaiesan?

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

I have now.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Madam Groguhé, you are next on the list.

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Yes, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

I would like you to tell the committee to endeavour not to repeat what you said last week, because I really don't want Mr. Dykstra to read pages and pages of what you said.

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Forgive me, Mr. Chair, but that is nonsense. This is clearly an all-out attack on what I just said, which has no connection to what I said in your absence. I don't know who is being disrespectful to members of the committee, but it certainly isn't me.

Up to this point, I have always been open-minded enough to listen to what others have to say, to let them speak and to have their floor time. I don't like being scolded and criticized in that manner by my government colleagues. I think that's an important point.

Mr. Chair, when you scolded me regarding the 30-day extension, I wasn't making any reference whatsoever to the document or what I may have said previously. I don't even have the document here, for that matter. All I was doing was clearly explaining my decision not to support this motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Madame Groguhé, my position would be that you don't have to repeat it word for word, that even if you get into the generalities, that's repetition.