Evidence of meeting #2 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
I can appreciate what Ms. Duncan is saying, but I don't think it fairly reflects the ebb and flow and the reasonability of people's availability during this regularly scheduled business week. My only addition—I realize I'm straying from these strict rules—is Monday and clarifying what the business hours actually are, but the 48 hours, interestingly, is I think one of the standardized motions in here that has worked and fairly reflects the reasonability of everyone's schedules, whether it's a minister or...whatever is being implicated.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
I'm going to jump in here and additionally muddy the waters. The tradition has been that the 48 hours in fact was considered two sleeps; I think we often get into this discussion of what 48 hours means.
In addition, there's some consideration of the fact that our staff don't work all weekend. They often do, but we don't want to impose upon them. So if in fact there were an intention to bring forward a motion to be distributed to committee members, I think it would be out of respect to our clerk that anything being brought forward on a Friday would be brought forward by three o'clock in the afternoon if we intended to have it distributed before the weekend.
Now, the tradition has always been that it would be consideration of two sleeps rather than the countdown of exactly 48 hours, but that's not been prescribed in the past. I just throw that out there for the benefit of our staff for additional consideration by committee members in this deliberation.
Ms. Duncan.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I just have to reiterate my concern that in my experience there are matters that slip through the cracks in committee. If this committee absolutely agrees at the outset that we will hear the minister on supplementary estimates (A) and (B) and agrees in advance that we will hear the minister on the budget and so forth, then there's no need for a motion. But those deadlines come up and it has been my experience on the committee that 1,001 excuses come up for why the minister is not available. We are very often faced with a very tight time crunch. This committee then would not be able to even consider for a whole week the request that the minister come forward, which is one of the very purposes of the committee: to consider estimates and government bills.
There's no reason why we can't adopt a protocol that unless absolutely necessary we don't have 24 hours' notice, but where is the leeway for us to agree? Can we agree on that without a motion? There has to be some way between this. Otherwise, we potentially will be precluded from carrying out some of our duties as a committee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Okay. As it now stands, Ms. Duncan, we are still debating the main motion because no one has brought forward an amendment to amend your 24 hours.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
All I think you did was to reiterate.
Just so committee members know, nobody has brought forward an amendment to that 24 hours. If people want to debate that number, then I think it would be appropriate to bring forward an amendment to that.
Mr. Rickford.
Conservative
Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON
So in other words, you're going to a vote on the amendment of 24 hours?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
There is no amendment because it was read in the original.... When she tabled the motion, she read “24 hours”.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
That is the main motion. So if people are seeking 48 hours, they would have to amend the motion.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
I'm going to call a vote or seek some consensus as soon as people are finished talking, but if somebody seeks to amend this motion, the time to do it would be now. Otherwise, it is 24 hours.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Okay.
Now we're debating the amendment. Does anybody have a comment with regard to the amendment?
Seeing no interjections, let's go to a vote on the amendment.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
The amendment is to have the number of 48 hours now included to replace what was read as 24 hours.
All those in favour?
(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The amendment is carried.
The motion now reads as it originally showed up in the text that was distributed.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, this is simply for information. There is nothing that's tabled before a committee. So “the motion as amended passed” is more correct.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Yes, but I just wanted to be absolutely clear that where it now stands is in resemblance to what was distributed in terms of the text, just for people's point of reference.
We'll vote on the motion as it now reads. We voted on the amendment, so now, all those in favour of the amended motion?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
It's your motion. You just amended it.
As I just said, it's exactly as the text that was distributed to members: it's 48 hours.
(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
We will now adjourn the meeting.