Evidence of meeting #119 for Justice and Human Rights in the 44th 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.
Conservative
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
You can watch this online, and that's what I was doing in my office. That's why I came here to speak about this. I was expecting the committee to study an anti-Semitism report, just like everybody else who is watching this committee today—just like the witnesses who came here to testify, and just like the members opposite, who are pretending they want, for once, to take anti-Semitism seriously in this country.
Seventy per cent of the hate crimes in this country—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
Ms. Lantsman, that is out of order and definitely not accurate. I am the chair. You will have to respect me or leave. That's number one.
Number two, I have been here. I have listened since May, when all of the witnesses came in for both studies. I have taken it in, along with all of the emotions that came from the witnesses, staff and members. I'm still standing here, so I deserve respect as the chair. These are not easy studies, and we would like to conclude them. I agree with you. I agree with all of you. I am asking you to all see a way to do that.
If you would like to take a five-minute break, I have no problem with that. Do you think we can come to a conclusion?
Mr. Brock.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
On a point of order, Madam Chair, I wholly respect your authority with respect to this committee, but you have absolutely no standing and no privilege to exclude a member and ask them to leave. She is duly elected, and you do not possess the powers to force her to leave this committee.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
Your point is well taken; thank you. However, I also expect every member to respect the position of the chair.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
Likewise, I ask the chair to exercise neutrality, as chairs are expected to do, notwithstanding your affiliation with the Liberal Party of Canada, and allow members latitude to get their points across without unnecessary interruptions.
Liberal
James Maloney Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
I have a point of order, Madam Chair.
The suggestion that the chair has in any way been impartial at any point during today's meeting or any of these proceedings is factually incorrect, Mr. Brock, and I think that other members of this committee will agree with me on that point. To bring partisan politics into an accusation against a chair like that is completely unfounded.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
I appreciate that, Mr. Maloney; I really do, and I appreciate Mr. Brock, but he wasn't.... If he was, it would be ridiculous based on how I act in this committee and in other committees, so let's move on. I'm okay with it now.
Ms. Lantsman, I'll give you back the floor, but please try to be relevant.
Conservative
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
I'm going to continue, because I couldn't get a point out before you called irrelevance on me, Madam Chair. I know that you may not like the facts of the matter, but that doesn't mean that you can censure a member and in any way ask a member of the House of Commons to leave a committee. I think that's out of line, and I'm going to put that on the record.
All of that is to say that we were going to get to a study on anti-Semitism in which members of this committee heard from witnesses from across the country, and I'll make my point again, because I was interrupted a number of times. Since that study, we have only seen this issue get worse in this country, so it is astounding to me that members of this committee who were part of that study and who purport to take this issue seriously don't want to get to the study.
As such, and to prove that.... First of all, I don't have to prove that the issue has gotten worse in this country, because it has. All you have to do is look at the encampments on university campuses, the shootings in cities and the violence in the streets, but since the committee doesn't want to get there, I have a motion to prove to everybody at home that this committee is blocking the study of anti-Semitism.
Liberal
Conservative
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
I know, and I have a motion, and I'm allowed to move a motion, Madam Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
Wait, now. Just give me a minute.
You cannot put a motion on the floor if we have a motion already.
Conservative
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
I will then ask for unanimous consent to move that the committee proceed to the consideration of the draft report on anti-Semitism and additional measures that could be taken to address the valid fears that are being expressed by Canada's Jewish community and ones that have been expressed by Canada's Jewish community since that. I'll ask for unanimous consent to move this motion to show everybody at home that this party is not serious about this issue and that this government hasn't taken this issue seriously.
October 31st, 2024 / 12:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
I'm going to suspend for a few minutes to get clarification as to whether you're even allowed to do that.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
I call the meeting back to order.
All right, folks. Let's get back. It's 12:58.
On Monday, if it's not concluded now, we will be doing the anti-Semitism report in camera. That's for notice, so that everybody knows.
With respect to what has been brought out now, it appears that it cannot be moved in the way that it has been.
Conservative
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
I've asked for unanimous consent. I just want to make sure that I didn't get it.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Lena Metlege Diab
No. It's not that you didn't get it; it's not something that can be done.
Conservative
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
Madam Chair, in order to get to the anti-Semitism study that we were supposed to get to today as a committee, I'm going to move to adjourn debate.