Citizenship and Immigration Committee on March 20th, 2023

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

On a point of order, the clerk is not a member of the committee, and it is procedurally in order.

If you are making a motion that is procedurally out of order, which I don't think you are because it wouldn't be.... Technically, Chair, I don't accept setting a precedent whereby we suspend for a member who is not a part of the committee to intervene in the committee's proceedings. It's not technically correct. We should proceed with debate on the amendment, proceed then with the debate on the motion and carry forward.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Madam Chair...?

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I have Mr. Dhaliwal.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, you are doing an excellent job as chair. From time to time, as I'm sure, Madam Rempel, you know, the chair has always discussed with and heard advice from the clerk. I think that's exactly what's she's doing right now as the chair. It's very clear. It's to give a couple of minutes to the chair to make those decisions that have to be made, so I would love to see this meeting suspended for two minutes.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Again, on a point of order, Chair, there's no procedural correctness in what's happening here, and we have to be bound by procedure. Wishes, thoughts and hopes are not in the 800- to 1,000-page book on procedure that we are bound to.

Chair, we need to proceed with debate on the amendment that is on the floor.

Thank you.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

With all due respect, I'm just wondering. It's the third time that a member is interfering and saying certain things, and every time she says, “I move the following motion”. Never once did I hear that she's actually moving to resume debate.

Madam Chair, with all due respect, I'm asking that we suspend this meeting so we can talk. We do have officials here who are prepared to hear about a legislative bill that we have to go forward. That was a motion that was unanimously passed last time in consideration of the importance of doing legislation first. This is why we're here.

I would like to suspend this meeting at this time, Madam Chair. Thank you.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

That's fine. I understand that you don't want to vote on this.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

We're just looking for a break for the officials.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

The meeting hasn't been suspended, so on a point of order, Chair, I—

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Can I have the attention of the members?

Ms. Rempel Garner, when you started reading the motion, did you say, “I want to resume debate on this motion”?

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

What are you advising, Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I just want to clarify, because the clerk has asked me to check that with you. Did you say that you resume?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Can I just have silence from both sides?

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Chair, just to clarify, this is my time.

Okay. I move that we resume debate on my motion from February 8, 2023, which previously was adjourned, per the text that I just read before, but I will, Chair, clarify that you also turned to Mr. Redekopp and accepted an amendment to be brought forward on my motion and by doing so I would say that you deemed the motion admissible in the way that I put it forward.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Ms. Rempel Garner has moved a motion and she has asked for the debate on it to be resumed.

Go ahead, Mr. Redekopp.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Do I need to re-move my amendment?

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Yes.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Madam Chair, I would move to delete every instance of “March 31” and replace it with “April 30”, and also add the word “former” in front of the reference to MP Garneau.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you.

On the amendment, go ahead, Mr. Dhaliwal.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Now that we're going into debate on this one, I would respectfully ask you to give the officials a five-minute break so they can use the washroom and whatnot. I would really appreciate it.

In the meantime, we're debating, and I would love to get this done one way or the other. You don't need to suspend the meeting, because we're already going through the debate and the officials don't need to watch that debate sitting here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I would like to check with the officials.

Would you like to stay or would you like to leave the building as the debate has been started on the motion that has been moved by Ms. Rempel Garner?

[Nicole Girard]

Madam Chair, we can take a two-minute comfort break to allow the committee business to proceed, but we're here to answer your questions, so we'll be pleased to come back and continue to answer any questions the committee may have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

That's fine.

Mr. El-Khoury has his turn now.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Madam Chair, don't we need a vote in order to resume debate? Can you check that, please?