Evidence of meeting #36 for International Trade in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Dennis Seebach  Director, Administration and Technology Services, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Marc Toupin  Procedural Clerk
Mary McMahon  Senior Counsel, Legal Services Branch, Canada Revenue Agency
Michael Solursh  Counsel, Trade Law Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Cindy Negus  Manager, Legislative Policy Directorate, Canada Revenue Agency
Paul Robertson  Director General, North America Trade Policy, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

8:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

To clause 126 now. Amendment G-12 has already passed. Because of the line conflict, BQ-8 cannot be moved.

He didn't move it, that is correct, Monsieur Cardin.

Mr. Julian has abstained.

(Clause 126 as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

8:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

We're on the schedule now. We go to the recorded vote on amendment G-13.

Mr. Julian has abstained.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Now we move to schedule 1 as amended.

Shall schedule 1 as amended carry?

A point of order, Mr. Julian.

8:20 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, we're now on consideration of motions to report stage back to committee. This is the time to actually have a discussion on the motions before us.

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

We are actually just going to the vote on schedule 1, Mr. Julian.

8:20 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

So what you're saying, Mr. Chair, is you're not allowing debate on any of the concurrent motions that come out of the report stage. This would also be unique in the annals of Parliament. It doesn't surprise me at all that you would ramrod this through, as everything else has been, but very clearly there's parliamentary precedent that the motions themselves of concurrence back to the House of Commons are debatable.

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Mr. Julian, we go to schedule 1 as amended for the recorded vote.

8:20 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

We have called for the vote, Mr. Julian. We're going to go ahead with the recorded vote.

Mr. Julian has abstained.

(Schedule I as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

8:20 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, we have concurrent motions that are coming before us. The point of order is that those are debatable. That is what I am submitting to you. What is your decision? Would you consult the head table, if they have any credibility left?

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Mr. Julian, the short title, of course, is clause 1. Therefore, the same rules apply, so we will go to the recorded vote on the short title, which was stood.

Mr. Julian has abstained.

(Clause 1 agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

8:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

You had a point of order, Mr. Julian. Go ahead with that now, if you'd like.

8:25 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

Mr. Chair, again, as you did earlier today, you have ignored a point of order. This is fast and loose with the rules, beyond belief. It is beyond Canadians' comprehension. This has been run like some sort of elementary school. It has been deplorable.

My point of order was to challenge your decision that the concurrence motions that go to the House of Commons are not debatable. You have said there will be no debate on these four remaining motions.

8:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

That's as the committee has decided, Mr. Julian.

Let's go to Mr. Julian's challenge of the chair.

There is a motion before the committee. Shall the ruling of the chair be sustained?

The ruling is that the same rules apply to this as have applied to the other clauses. Therefore, we just move ahead as we have. Mr. Julian has challenged that decision, so we are now moving to a vote on the decision of the chair. The motion before the committee is whether or not the decision of the chair shall be sustained.

(Chair's ruling sustained: [See Minutes of Proceedings])

8:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Shall the title carry?

8:25 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

I vote no on this motion, Mr. Chairman.

(Title agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

8:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Shall the bill as amended carry?

8:25 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

Absolutely not.

(Bill as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

8:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Shall the chair report the bill as amended to the House?

8:25 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

Absolutely not. This has been a farcical evening.

(Agreed [See Minutes of Proceedings])

8:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Shall the committee order a reprint of the bill as amended for use of the House at report stage?

8:25 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

Absolutely not.

(Agreed [See Minutes of Proceedings])

8:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

A point of order, Mr. LeBlanc.

8:30 p.m.

Liberal

Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB

This has been a long day, at eleven and a half hours. Certainly the witnesses from the department should be thanked for their good humour and patience.

I suggest--and I hope other members agree--that in light of this and the fact that a lot of us have work we were hoping to do today and couldn't, perhaps you could cancel the meeting of this committee on Thursday morning. We could all get together after Remembrance Day to look ahead to other trade issues.

8:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

We couldn't schedule the witnesses for Thursday so there will be no meeting then. The next meeting will be after the Remembrance Day break.

I'd like to thank all members of the committee for their patience, in spite of the testing times on the part of all of us. Everyone certainly maintained their composure, and I appreciate that very much.

Thank you very much to all of the witnesses for their extreme patience today. Thank you to all of the researchers, clerks, and everyone involved for their patience.

The meeting is adjourned.