International Trade Committee on Jan. 31st, 2017

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Welcome back, everybody. Happy New Year.

Members, I hope you had a good break in your ridings with your families and all that good stuff.

The last time we had a meeting, we were very successful finishing Bill C-30. I'll just let the committee know that I presented it in the House yesterday without any trip-ups, so it's in front of Parliament as we speak.

As was stated before the Christmas break, we'll get right to Bill C-31, the Canada-Ukraine trade agreement.

Ms. Ramsey has a motion here.

Do you want to speak on it, Ms. Ramsey?

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Sure.

I would like to move my motion from Friday, January 27:

That with regard to the Committee’s study of Bill C-31, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Ukraine, the Committee invite witnesses to appear to discuss the state of human rights in Ukraine.

I think if we pause for a meeting or two, take our time and do our due diligence around the real issue of human rights in Ukraine, and have some witnesses come forward, it would open up a platform for anyone who wants to do that. I think, in contrast to the work we've done around other trade agreements, it would provide that space.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Thank you, Ms. Ramsey.

Are there any comments on this motion?

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Are we in camera?

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

We're in public right now.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

We are in public, but we usually do motions in camera.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

If you wish this one to go in camera, it's up to you.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

I don't think there's any need.

[An hon. member]

In camera? Sure.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

You want to go in camera?

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Can we get a recorded vote, then?

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Okay. If we go in camera, it will take just take a minute.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Rémi Bourgault]

Somebody's moving to go in camera?

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Yes.

Is that what the wish was? Is that what I heard from the floor, that you want a recorded vote if we go in camera?

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Yes, a recorded vote to go in camera.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Is that what I heard?

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Okay.

Mr. Dhaliwal.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Mr. Chair, we already had a debate in the House on this bill. Did the honourable member not have enough time there to deal with any issues with this agreement?

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

On a point of order, Chair, before we start the debate or discussion on the motion and to solve the issue at hand, normally the committee deals with motions in camera. It's assumed, when we start a motion, that it automatically goes in camera, so there should be no vote required. It's in our Standing Orders for the committee.

Unless we want to have a motion saying that we want to stay out of camera, I would just assume that we should be going in camera.

[The Chair, Liberal, Mark Eyking]

Yes, I think you're right, Mr. Hoback.

In practice, I don't think we usually have a vote to go in camera. If somebody wants to go in camera, let's just go in camera.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

I think it's within my rights to ask for a recorded vote to go in camera.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

You want to go in camera, then?

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

What I'm saying is that it's already in our Standing Orders, so there is no vote to be had.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

There is no vote required to go in camera, right? So it is an in camera meeting. Then we have to clear the floor.