Industry Committee on Dec. 12th, 2006

[Robert Vincent, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Chairman, I have a point of order.

I believe that Mr. Carrie presented a motion a little earlier. Not every member has yet had the opportunity to ask a question. So this is the problem: if he wanted the witnesses to leave, he simply had to wait for the end of questions. He did not do so and presented his motion. Therefore, he should assume the consequences!

Speaking for myself, I did not get to ask my questions and I want to, that is certain. I do not want the witnesses to leave before I ask them my questions. However, we became sidetracked with a different subject. Let's just finish the business at hand, and then, when it is my turn to speak, when we come back to the committee, I will ask my questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Well, the advice I'm given, procedurally, is that they were invited from 3:30 to 5:30. This does not deal with the adjournment of the committee, so I am, as the chair, allowing the witnesses to leave. I want to thank them for their time.

I'm obviously sorry about parliamentary procedure getting in the way, but I appreciate your time here. You can stay if you want to. I assume you won't. Thank you.

Now we're resuming debate on the subamendment. Go ahead, Mr. Vincent.

[Robert Vincent, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

I will take a few moments to make a 60-second digression.

I simply want to point out that the party I represent, the Bloc Québécois, is here to uphold democracy. Today, democracy was dealt a blow because on a committee each member has the right to receive the witnesses he or she wants to hear from.

As well, how is it possible to adopt a bill after such a quick study, without calling any witnesses to explain their point of view?

In any case, it was already clear from the start that Quebec does not agree with the process outlined in Bill C-26. However, you want engage us in this debate only to tell us that, although we have been democratically elected, democracy ends when the chair says so. I don't agree with that.

That's all I wanted to say.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Okay. Merci, Monsieur Vincent.

I just want to clarify. The bill was referred to us on November 6, 2006, and the clerk can correct me on this. I guess this will be debate from the chair on the subamendment. I have not received--I don't know whether the clerk has received--one witness recommended by any member of this committee since November 6.

Clerk, have you received any witnesses suggested by—

[James Latimer]

No members have submitted any names of witnesses.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

I'm just clarifying that for the committee, that not one witness—

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

I, too, Mr. Chairman, wish to clarify something.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Monsieur Crête, on a point of order.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Yes. I simply want to provide a clarification. I already presented possible amendments to this bill, and I did this 10 or 12 days ago. I did so in good faith by asking the government and other parties to tell me what they thought. But then I had to ask for their response four days later, when I learned that the issue would not be reopened. There were no other counter-proposals, and at that point, there was no question of adopting the bill quickly; no one had even mentioned that possibility.

This is some additional information I wanted to give you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you.

We'll move to a recorded vote on the subamendment. I think everybody knows what it is.

Mr. Pacetti.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Can you clarify what we're voting for?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

The subamendment.

(Subamendment negatived: nays 8; yeas 2)

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

The subamendment is defeated.

We'll now move to Mr. Carrie's amendment. Recorded.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 8; nays 2)

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Let's read the motion as amended.

[James Latimer]

The motion as amended is: “That the committee move to clause-by-clause on Bill C-26 immediately.”

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Recorded vote.

(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 8; nays 2)

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

We will move immediately to clause-by-clause of Bill C-26. We will just wait for a legislative clerk to come forward.

(On clause 1)

We will start debate on clause 1 of the bill. No debate?

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

I have a question.

I would like the experts to explain section 1 to us.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

We have no experts here, other than the members sitting around the table.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

We did have experts here, people who were called in to do precisely that, but we sent them away. So since there is no one left to enlighten us, we cannot vote.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

You wasted their time.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

We did have experts here, Monsieur Crête; you are correct. We invited them to be here from 3:30 until 5:30. At 5:30, based on procedural advice, the chair allowed them to leave, so we do not have experts here.

(Clause 1 agreed to on division)

(On clause 2)

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

We have four amendments introduced by Monsieur Crête.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

No, there are no amendments. They were sent out, but I am withdrawing them. This masquerade has gone on long enough.