International Trade Committee on June 14th, 2006

[An honourable member]

Let's have the vote!

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

There is more discussion, Mr. Paquette, so let's have that discussion. Just because a member of the committee asks that the question be called, it's clearly at the discretion of the chair. And I want to make sure that we're ready for the vote before we go to it.

Mr. Julian, you had--

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

I challenge your decision, Mr. Chair. It is up to the committee to make the decision of whether they are ready to vote or not.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

It is up to the committee?

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

I challenge your decision on whether to proceed to a vote. It is now up to the committee to determine whether they are ready to proceed to a vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Mr. Julian, I'm told by the clerks that in fact you are not allowed to call for the question at a committee. So we will carry on.

Mr. Cannan, go ahead, please.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I sit here very frustrated by the actions of the committee. I'm a new member trying to bring some honourable decorum to the procedures here. I have waited patiently.

I can support a report's coming to the House. But I think the motion that was being proposed needs some sort of framework, some meat, some, I guess, definition. It's too vague, to my mind, for one thing. I agree with the concept of working together on a report. What are the terms of reference? Are we just going to look at some of the witnesses who have come, as has been alluded to? We still have a whole panel of people who are coming on Monday.

I think, ultimately, the timing is important. We have to wait until we hear from all the people who are speaking, for and against. We know that there are a lot of concerns, and I want to--

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

He's not even listening.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Yes, just continue, Mr. Cannan.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

It's the choice of committee members whether they listen or not, Mr. Cannan. But you go ahead and carry on.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

I just think it's important that we do present a factual report, with as much information as we can, to the rest of the members of the House. We would be doing them a disrespect if we didn't wait until we had heard from all the witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Mr. Watson.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

There are two groups of witnesses who are being thoroughly disgraced by petty opposition parties and politics: those who are sitting here waiting for this meeting to get on and those who are scheduled to appear before this committee on Monday.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

[Inaudible--Editor]

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Order, members, please.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

I didn't speak while you were speaking, Mr. Julian.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Give Mr. Watson a chance to present his comments, please.

Go ahead, Mr. Watson.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

I don't think that's a route the committee should be taking. If I were a witness appearing before a committee, I would certainly want my testimony to be factored into whatever report the committee puts forward.

I had the lack of an honour, shall I say, to sit on a committee last year that totally cut swaths of testimony by witnesses on the Kyoto issue from its final report. That was politics and disrespectful to the witnesses who appeared.

Now I'm sitting here before a committee that wants to further disrespect witnesses who are going to be coming. I think it's time to put the narrow agendas away; let's get on with the full testimony and then write a report.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you, Mr. Watson.

Mr. Paquette has made a motion to amend his motion. His original motion was given—

[Pierre Paquette, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

No, you're totally wrong on that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Sorry, so you just want to vote on the motion as is? I'm sorry, I misunderstood, Mr. Paquette. There was no need for that at all.

If you want to make an amendment, go ahead and do that, Ms. Guergis. I'm sorry, as you had indicated that intention.

Ms. Guergis has an amendment to your motion, Mr. Paquette, that she'd like to move.

Go ahead. I understand she has it translated.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

I do have it translated in both official languages.

I was just hoping that we could amend and add to the motion: And that the report be structured into sections to include litigation, stability, job losses, and the return of duties.

I'm open to anybody else adding any other sections they think should specifically be acknowledged within the report, so that we do capture all of the information that was gathered from our witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Ms. Guergis' amendment is the only amendment on the floor right now.

(Amendment negatived)

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Now we'll go to the motion for which proper notice was given by Mr. Paquette.

(Motion agreed to)