Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 13th, 2013

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

What I do want to address, and I think this is a new point, are some of the arguments I heard from my colleagues across the way. A point was raised by Mr. Menegakis specifically, that Mr. Shory's bill had taken an incredible amount of work—in his riding and in consulting his colleagues, and also in the commitments he made at the committee stage in coming to hear all the witnesses.

Mr. Chair, I would argue that these are new points, because I need to have an opportunity as part of the debate, to respond to what you hear from the other side. It's in response to that issue that was raised that I want to argue.... First, I actually agree with Mr. Menegakis that private members' business is really important in the House and has to be protected. Private members, both government backbenchers and the opposition, wait because we know that this doesn't apply to parliamentary secretaries or to the cabinet, the executive branch.

So private members wait a long time. Some of us are 280th in line, or something like that. I think I'm one of those. I know that for my private member's bill, it's going to be a very long time before my turn comes. And I will be waiting very patiently for that because being a team player, I know what happens when you have so many members—

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

Point of order.

I don't know what this has to do with the extension, Mr. Chair. I have heard lots about how much Ms. Sims allegedly cares about private members' bills, and if she would like to write a book, create a study, give a speech on the steps of Parliament, she's free to do that, but I'd really like to stick to the agenda here.

I know we're getting towards the point where the opposition actually has nothing left to say that they haven't already said, but I would like to think that we're not going to hear stories about emotional attachment to the private members' process.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Ms. Sims, I've been very lenient. The points Mr. Dykstra is making are accurate.

We're going to give you a chance to move back to the motion. I made a ruling yesterday that it's a very narrow issue, dealing strictly with whether or not the 30-day extension of sitting days should be granted. I'd like you to stick to that.

I'm going to move on if you decide to continue with your line of questioning, because I think Mr. Dykstra has made a valid point of order.

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

Point of order, Chair.

Chair, I sat here yesterday after your ruling, and I listened to my colleagues across the way talking about the importance of private members' bills and why they felt this extension was so important. Unless I get an opportunity to respond to that and engage in that debate, I will struggle to understand how, yesterday, it was okay for the government side to talk about all of that, and now today I cannot respond.

I'll await your direction.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Mr. Menegakis.

Mr. Dykstra, please. Order.

Mr. Menegakis.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Richmond Hill, ON]

With all due respect, Mr. Chair, that's not entirely fair. What the government members did yesterday was to strictly and very quickly respond to that very point being made by the members of the opposition for, I guess, going on five days in a row now.

We're just responding to something they have been talking about for five days. To come back and reiterate stuff they've said over and over again speaks to repetitiveness, and that's what we're into here.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Ms. Sims, now I'm saying it for the second time. I agree with Mr. Dykstra and Mr. Menegakis on their point of order, and I'd like you to stick to the topic. If you don't, I will be moving on.

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

Thank you very much.

As we look at the important role of private members' business—and I'm going to relate it back to the extension of 30 days—what is being sought here actually goes beyond the 60 days that are already allocated.

The committee had every opportunity to have those discussions, to participate, and to address any amendments in the clause-by-clause discussions. We had all of that opportunity over the last number of weeks. The committee chose not to do that, because at that time the government did not bring it back here for clause by clause, nor did they show any interest in proceeding with clause by clause, and that is a new—

[An hon. member]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

I am going to move on.

Ms. Freeman.

[Mylène Freeman, NDP, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

I'll pass, Chair, thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Ms. Sitsabaiesan.

[An hon. member]

She's not here.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Monsieur Giguère is also not here.

Mr. Lamoureux.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I do have a few thoughts that I just want to pick up on. It won't take me long to go through them.

Again, this goes to the reasons why it is that we shouldn't necessarily be supporting this motion. Ms. Sims made reference to it very briefly yesterday, and I want to take just a few moments to expand upon it.

You can somewhat sense, Mr. Chairperson, the important work that we do here as a committee. Last week, in fact, we were supposed to be working on a different study, a study that I have been advocating for a good period of time now. In fact—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

We've gone through this, Mr. Lamoureux. You're repeating what we've already discussed.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

With all due respect—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

This issue was discussed a number of times yesterday, let alone last week, this issue of talking about the study we were on and the additional work we were doing. I don't want to hear it again.

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

Point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Madam Sims.

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

The particular issue of the study that started was not discussed at any other time except by me yesterday. I only alluded to it very briefly.

The other opposition party has not had a chance to comment on that at all, so it is related, because it's about the usage of time. It's about the time that could have been used for the private member's bill. Instead, now we have a study that's in limbo, and here we are.

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

She's doing it again, using points of order just to give speeches.

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

Well, I'm just making my point—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

That's not a point of order, Mr. Dykstra.

Mr. Lamoureux, you have the floor.

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

Those are not points of order and you know it.