Evidence of meeting #64 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 report.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:25 a.m.
NDP
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
That any member of the Committee may attach a dissenting opinion to this, and future, report(s) within 48 hours of the adoption of the report(s).
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Just a minute, Mr. Julian, please.
Yes, the original motion said “all reports”, not “this report”, so that's what the motion is, then, Mr. Julian. It's asking all reports to be tabled to the House, so it would include this one, since it hasn't been tabled yet. That's a good point.
Mr. Julian.
11:30 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Chair, that motion is simply out of order. He did not provide the 48 hours' notice. The committee agenda is dealing with this report motion. It is out of order, simply out of order, to throw this out without giving the required 48 hours' notice, and Mr. Cannan knows this.
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Mr. Julian, on your point of order, you had asked earlier, and I had discussed it with the clerk, but there was a misunderstanding on my part. I agree in fact that because of this motion, that it is to change the way business is dealt with at this committee, it does require the 48 hours' notice. I am reversing a decision I made earlier. It wasn't a correct decision earlier. So we've discussed this.
But the issue now is on this report and how much time is to be allowed to attach a dissenting opinion. That's the issue we still have to deal with. It's the same issue we had to deal with when this was brought before the committee half an hour ago.
So would someone suggest how much time should be allowed? Mr. Temelkovski.
11:30 a.m.
Liberal
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
That's out of order, Mr. Temelkovski, because the motion passed earlier says that members will have an opportunity to attach a dissenting report. So you have to allow some time.
Yes, Mr. Allison.
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON
Could I make a suggestion? Since we're already past the time, I'll make a motion that we be allowed until the end of today, until 5 o'clock today, since we're past the 48 hours, to provide a dissenting opinion, and then that it be reported in the House tomorrow.
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON
The motion is that the Conservative Party submit its dissenting opinion on the ninth report to the clerk's office no later than 5 p.m. today, and that the report be presented to the House.
11:30 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Chair, reports on motions simply do not include dissident reports. They simply do not. So reports on motions—and this is very clearly a report on a motion—I think need to be treated in a different way.
If Mr. Cannan wants to bring forward a notice of motion for after the break, or Mr. Allison wants to bring forward a notice of motion for after the break, on reports on motions, certainly he can do that. We talked about reports, complex reports, and having dissident opinions. In this case, no provision for a dissenting opinion is necessary. In fact, it is, to say the least, confusing and I think a little irresponsible to start having motions that have other motions attached to them, or other reports attached to them. It just becomes a bizarre circumstance. No other committee does this.
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Mr. Julian, this is in order, and this is a report to the House. Our motion was very clear—the motion we passed on February 27—that it include all motions.
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
So the business left to the committee right now is to decide how much time we have. Mr. Allison has brought a motion forth saying that the committee allow until 5 o'clock tonight for members to bring in dissenting opinions and that the report be tabled in the House tomorrow.
11:30 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Chair, we'll have to come back to this, but given the respect for the witnesses we have today and not wanting to have this go on eternally—we've seen the Conservatives filibuster in other committees trying for total, complete gridlock in this Parliament—I will offer the amendment that “until 5 o'clock” be changed to until noon today.
11:35 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Is there any discussion on the amendment? Do you want a recorded vote?
11:35 a.m.
An hon. member
Yes.
11:35 a.m.
The Clerk
That the dissenting opinion be submitted to the clerk's office by 12 o'clock today—
11:35 a.m.
Conservative
11:35 a.m.
The Clerk
—and that the report be presented to the House tomorrow.
