Evidence of meeting #1 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
I'm sorry. The blue hand was still up from the last time.
Mr. Battiste, could you make your comments, please?
Liberal
Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
I have changed my line of thinking since hearing MP Powlowski. While I did want to make an amendment to say maybe we should look at rural areas, then we'd start getting into which first nations and which areas, or whether we are just looking at northern areas.
As a Mi'kmaq person, did I drop the ball by supporting something that didn't also include first nations in Canada in rural areas? Then I think to myself, if I listen to MP Powlowski, this committee needs to start getting to the studies and figuring out which things we don't all agree on and how we can move the bar forward a little bit for first nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada.
I can understand the importance of all of us putting motions forward on things we agree with, but I would much rather we, as a group, create studies and recommendations for government to follow.
I think that now we need to get to those studies. Having these motions that we put forward and that everyone supports, I don't know what that does for my community. I don't know what that does for the first nations places that don't have good coverage.
Let's get to the studies. Let's get to discussing within the subcommittee what we're going to move forward on and let's get to the witnesses. I know we could spend a lot of this day looking at how and what we are all in agreement with, but I don't know what that does in practical terms for my first nations community.
Liberal
Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I appreciate all of the back and forth with respect to the motion. I do agree that it should be a broad one that includes all first nations, Métis and Inuit people across Canada.
MP Blaney, your point is very well taken. Language is important, and colonial language certainly has no place in Canada let alone on the INAN committee.
Mr. Viersen, I appreciate the sentiment. I would move that we agree to extend condolences, after a simple review of the language to make sure it's amenable for all parties and people. I think it would be a kind gesture and appropriate for this committee to extend.
The motion with respect to broadband is a good one as well. We just have to make sure it's inclusive.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
I'm going to ask the clerk. We will have an offline conversation about the mandate of the committee.
No one disagrees with the feelings that were expressed in Mr. Viersen's comments.
Conservative
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
I have a point of order. As far as I know, we already have unanimous consent to be discussing Mr. Melillo's motion. Mr. Melillo's motion is the one that's on the floor right now. I very much support Mr. Melillo's motion, and I would like to dispose of that motion by having a vote.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
I'm not in favour of actually doing any motions as the chair right now, because our meeting has been going along very well in terms of—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
I have the chair, Mr. Viersen. I have the floor right now. Please, let's not get into crosstalk.
You made a comment and I'm replying to the comment. My comment, as the chair, is to get down to the business of the mandated procedures that are in front of us, with regard to the very substantive motions that have been given notice today.
Regarding the other matters, we'll take an offline discussion as to how we want to proceed, or if we want to proceed, with regard to other comments or the feelings of the committee and so on, because really it is endless. There is no end to that, and that's fine. Everything that comes up we all consider, when we open up the paper or watch TV in the morning. Things fall on us. However, are we delaying what we are mandated to do by going off on tangents?
I'm going to ask that we hold this conversation off. We'll take a look at the mandate and come up with an approach at our next meeting. I really didn't want to—
Conservative
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
Mr. Chair, on point of order, this is about the management of the meeting. I understood that you asked for unanimous consent from this committee to hear Mr. Melillo's motion. You said, “Is there unanimous consent? I'm going to wait for a 'no'.” Nobody said “no”.
Liberal
Conservative
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
Then a discussion ensued. You gave the floor to Mr. Anandasangaree. He discussed Mr. Melillo's motion. We are de facto discussing Mr. Melillo's motion. We had unanimous consent.
Conservative
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
We had unanimous consent. We started discussing Mr. Melillo's motion. We went through several speakers on Mr. Melillo's motion. I would expect that, at some point, we would be disposing of that motion. That is how motions are dealt with in this committee. I would ask that we dispose of this motion by having a vote. If I am wrong, I look to the clerk to clarify that a little bit.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
I'm seeing a no. There's no unanimous consent, so for the purposes of—
Conservative
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
Mr. Chair, I distinctly remember you asking, “Is there unanimous consent?” You can review the tape of this. Nobody said no. Then we started discussing. We can't go back now and say, “Is there still unanimous consent?” That's not how this works.
Liberal
Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON
There was unanimous consent given to discuss it, and then we discussed it.
Conservative
Liberal
