Evidence of meeting #14 for Justice and Human Rights in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendments.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Bloc
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga, QC
In order to make the best possible use of our time, and if it is the will of the committee, we could apply a single vote to the three other amendments and the consequential amendments. I think you would get a consensus to proceed in this fashion. If it is the will of the committee, and if you allow me to explain my three separate amendments, we could apply a single vote to all of the remaining Bloc Québécois amendments, which would allow us to deal with all of the amendments the Bloc has on the table. When the time comes, I will ask for a recorded vote. In the interest of moving ahead with our agenda, I do not think that there would be any point in considering each one individually.
With your agreement, we could consider the amendment with the reference number ending in 17, the one with the reference number ending in 26, and the one with the reference number ending in 40. Mr. Chairman, the amendment with the reference number ending in 17 extends the concept of cruelty to animals to stray animals. The amendment with the reference number ending in 26 extends the ban on animal ownership for recidivists to a lifelong ban. As I am sure you recall, witnesses argued that the current ban was not long enough. My last amendment, with the reference number ending in 40, amends the criteria for negligence to reflect the testimony we heard. Negligent behaviour is defined as that which is a marked departure from the behaviour an individual would normally adopt in the same circumstances.
If it is the will of the committee, I would be happy for us to vote on all of the Bloc amendments—the three main amendments and the consequential amendments—in one go in order to get them off the table.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Art Hanger
It certainly would, Mr. Ménard. There are other amendments before those that you had mentioned. If there's unanimous consent from the rest of the committee members, we'll proceed in that fashion.
Is there unanimous consent?
Conservative
Bloc
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga, QC
Exactly, those three and the consequential amendments. There are three amendments.
Bloc
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga, QC
There are three separate amendments, Mr. Chairman: the one with the reference number ending in 17, which addresses one issue; the one with the reference number ending in 26, which addresses another issue; and the one with the reference number ending in 40, which addresses a third issue. Then you have the consequential amendments. I suggest that we apply a single vote to all of these amendments. Given the voting pattern that is becoming evident, I do not think it would be worthwhile proceeding otherwise. I see that the Liberals are practising “bloc voting”, which is always a smart thing to do.
Liberal
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
They are going to open up a satellite office in your neck of the woods.
Liberal
Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB
You would have the Caisses Desjardins, and we would have the Caisses populaires acadiennes.
Bloc
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga, QC
Would you like the list of amendments, Mr. Chairman? These are the three main amendments.
Conservative
Bloc
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga, QC
Basically, I am suggesting that we vote on all of the outstanding Bloc Québécois amendments. We could apply a single vote to all of these amendments. Then we could move on to the NDP amendments. I have explained the rationale behind our three main amendments. If the committee wants to vote, we can do so.
Liberal
Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB
Mr. Ménard is offering to have one vote apply to all of the Bloc amendments in total, every one of them, which I think is a very reasonable gesture on Valentine's Day.
Bloc
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga, QC
I think I have explained the rationale behind our three separate amendments. I hope that my colleagues will support them. We all know what is at stake here.