Industry Committee on Sept. 21st, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Colleagues, I call this meeting to order.

I know there's a lot of excitement. Most of you didn't expect to see each other so soon.

Welcome to meeting number 85 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders.

Pursuant to the order of reference of Monday, April 17, 2023, the committee is briefly resuming its study of Bill C-34, an act to amend the Investment Canada Act.

At the meeting on Tuesday, September 19, the committee completed its clause-by-clause study of Bill C-34, an act to amend the Investment Canada Act. After the meeting was adjourned, a situation was brought to my attention that merits clarification from the committee in order to dispel any confusion for the subsequent stages of the study of the bill.

During the debate on amendment NDP-2, creating a new clause, clause 8.1, MP Gaheer proposed the subamendment with the reference number 12546585, when his intention was to propose subamendment 12549163, as distributed to the members of the committee on Tuesday morning at 10:19 a.m.

After listening to the meeting again, it seems obvious to me that the discussions and the vote of the members concern the content of subamendment 12549163 and not subamendment 12546585, which rather refers to clause 12.

In order to clear up any misunderstanding and avoid problems with subsequent stages of the legislative process, it would be appropriate for the committee to clarify the vote on the subamendment. I therefore ask the committee for unanimous consent for the following motion:

That notwithstanding the Committee's decision of September 19 to adopt the amendment with reference number 12546585, that this decision be rescinded and that the Committee adopt subamendment 12549163.

Do I have unanimous consent for the motion just stated?

Go ahead, Mr. Perkins.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I just want to make sure I follow the train of thought here.

Amendment NDP-2 did not pass. Is that correct?

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

It did pass, but with the incorrect subamendment.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

It did pass with the incorrect subamendment, the subamendment being Mr. Gaheer's motion that is on the second page that you distributed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Exactly.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

It was actually not meant to be the one that was moved, but it is the one that's on the third page.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

It's the one that's on the third page of the small package.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Right. Just because it deals with MP Masse's amendment, I would like to understand his perspective.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Mr. Masse, go ahead.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

I'm supporting this at this time. Hopefully this is a makeup moment for the committee. I'm doing it in good faith.

Thank you, Mr. Perkins. I appreciate it, and, yes, support is there.

I also appreciate—even though it didn't pass—the Conservatives' work on another part of the amendment. I did appreciate that work from Mr. Vis, for the record.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

I understand, colleagues, that I have unanimous consent for the motion that I've laid out.

(Motion agreed to)

(Subamendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Is amendment NDP-2 as modified by subamendment 12549163 adopted?

(Amendment as amended agreed to)

Is it the will of the committee to adjourn the meeting?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

The meeting is adjourned.

It's the shortest meeting we've had.