Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Oct. 31st, 2006

[The Clerk]

You're right, Madam Neville, to mention that the dissenting opinion appears after the signature of the chair, and traditionally it has been the committee's decision to allow a party to annex a dissenting opinion to the report.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Is it part of the motion, or is it concurred in by the committee once the original motion is dealt with?

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

I have seen on the last page of larger reports, where you'll have—

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Yes, but not in the motion—

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

But not in the motion.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

—is my understanding. And that's what—

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

And I really don't know.

I know what your question is, though.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

That was my understanding, that when....

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

I'm going to suspend for five minutes to allow the clerk to research that question.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Okay, committee. I want to thank Mr. Préfontaine.

Just for clarification, a dissenting opinion is often attached to the end of a report, and that is allowed. The way we must deal with this is that the dissenting opinion be attached, that it be part of the motion.

Mr. Bruinooge, your motion would be that we amend the existing motion to add those words, and those words are, “any dissenting opinion be attached to the report, and the report be tabled by the chair”. That is the amendment we're discussing now.

Madame Neville.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Could I make a friendly suggestion to say “any dissenting opinion by some members of the committee”?

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Okay. Would that be acceptable?

[Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

I have a technical question. I want to find out what part of the rules that was based on.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Marleau and Montpetit, page 882.

[Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Does the committee want a clarification on it? Do you have that information, Madam Karetak-Lindell?

[Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

I just wondered why it had to be in the motion. I missed something there.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

It doesn't have to be; he wants it there.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

The motion is what is receivable, that will be tabled in the House, so I think it should be attached to the motion.

Any further discussion as far as the amendment adding those words?

Madam Crowder.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Can I hear the full motion now?

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Certainly. The motion is:

That the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development recommend that the Government immediately pledge its support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; that this be adopted as a report of this committee; that the chair present the report to the House; and any dissenting opinion by some members be attached to the report and the report be tabled by the chair.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Chair, we're voting on my amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

I know that. It was asked for the whole motion.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

I just wanted to hear the whole motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Okay, now dealing with the amendment.

(Amendment agreed to)