Evidence of meeting #35 for Justice and Human Rights in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was nurse.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
I thank you for your kind suggestion.
Respectfully, I am not going to follow that suggestion. I anticipated that I might receive some commentary and instruction from the chair. I took it upon myself, as vice-chair, to reach out to the parliamentary secretary last Wednesday and offered what I thought to be an entirely reasonable proposal that would have highlighted and debated the importance of Bill C-238 and Bill S-233.
The proposal—
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
I have a point of order.
If we're going to be getting into the exchanges between me and the vice-chair of the committee, I'd be more than happy to indulge in the last conversations we had via text. I'd be more than happy to share them with the committee. I indicated that I was more than happy and open to discussing how we would be able to proceed. In the last text that was sent out—I think, as of last Friday—I kept the door open to be able to iron out the creases that we are now dealing with today, at committee.
I find it very unfortunate. We knew that we were going to proceed with this PMB. We made it crystal clear, as a matter of fact, yet here we are, in tactics of filibustering. It is quite obvious to everybody.
If we're going to be going that way, then I think it's important that members around this table acknowledge and be made aware of that the door was always open, but we were crystal clear that we were going to proceed on this particular PMB.
Thank you.
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
I would point it out, for the record, that we had previously scheduled clause-by-clause for Bill C-238 and that was subsequently changed by the chair.
Your hands are clean on this, given the timing in which you've come over, but our intention had been to finish this last week.
I think it needs to be stated, for the record, that there was a needless delay in the way these meetings were scheduled that led to us having this matter on the agenda today, when we had an agreement—a good-faith agreement across party lines—to have Bill S-233 on the agenda for today.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
I completely understand that, Mr. Lawton. As you know, I wasn't part of the scheduling piece. However, we have witnesses here. We have a bill before us. If possible, can we just get it done? We're more than happy to debate the next bill before us. I leave it to members. If you want to continue with your articles and with talking about your motion, that's absolutely fine, but I would prefer to save time for our witnesses and move the agenda forward.
Go ahead, Mr. Brock.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
May I suggest this? If there is a willingness on behalf of the parliamentary secretary and the government to accommodate a discussion on Bill S-233, I am more than happy to agree to a brief suspension in order to engage in those discussions. I'm mindful of the fact that you asked for additional resources. I'm hoping additional resources will be made available. However, the sad reality is that today is our final meeting for this session.
I will take the opportunity to read out my exchange with the parliamentary secretary, because it certainly was not on a with prejudice or without prejudice basis. This is the proposal I put to her last Wednesday at 3:30: “Here's my proposal: We move expeditiously today, and clause-by-clause in the first 30 minutes of Monday's meeting.” That would be today, June 15. It continues, “Then move immediately—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
Mr. Brock, you have my sincerest apologies.
Do you know what? I think you guys have had ample time to discuss negotiations with each other. If this is the path you'd like to take, please go ahead and continue.
Conservative
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
It says, “Then move immediately to Bill S-233, with Todd Doherty taking one round of questions, and we move immediately to clause-by-clause. All of this is completed within two hours. We cancel Wednesday's meeting.” Her response was, “Let's see how today goes, and we'll talk after.”
There's been no discussion.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
I have a point of order, Madam Chair.
I have no objection to our colleague Mr. Brock sharing those discussions with us, but could we have them in writing?
These are exchanges by email or text, so these are documents, and the documents should be provided to the committee in both official languages.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
Thank you, Mr. Fortin. My understanding is that the motion Mr. Brock is discussing was sent to you by email. It was a couple of weeks ago, if I'm not mistaken.
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Yes, I received it. I'm not talking about the motion, but rather about the email exchanges.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
I'm happy to ask for unanimous consent to have this exchange of text messages translated into both official languages and made available to my colleagues.
Liberal
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
I just [Technical difficulty—Editor] the motion Mr. Fortin was requesting with regard to the exchange of text messages between myself and Mr. Brock.
May I seize the opportunity to say that he can read out whatever was in the exchanges? However, I think it's worth noting that the last exchange with Mr. Brock.... I will take the liberty of reading it into the record. After I reiterated that this is where we were going today, I made it crystal clear that Madame Lapointe's PMB was going to follow the same procedure we had with the two previous Conservative Party PMBs, to which the last exchange with Mr. Brock was, “With one meeting remaining, discussions are moot.” I'm glad to hear that there's been a change of heart, and now he wants to discuss this in the middle of a meeting. My door is always open.
I have no issue with regard to these exchanges being shared with the other members—absolutely none.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
Thank you very much for that, Ms. Lattanzio.
Mr. Fortin, Mr. Brock, Ms. Lattanzio and all the members, figure your stuff out off-line.
Let's continue the meeting, as Mr. Brock has brought to this....
Please go ahead.
Conservative
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
I have a point of order.
Mr. Brock sought unanimous consent on tabling the exchange. I believe—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
My understanding is that Mr. Brock asked if he could request unanimous consent.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
No, I didn't say that. I'm asking for unanimous consent, Madam Chair.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid
As I had suggested to members, it's better for you guys to talk to each other and collaborate so that we can move this forward as soon as possible. As I had said, I would really like for us to move forward on Bill C-238 and make sure that it gets to the House before we rise. However, if members are not wanting to go that route, then I leave it to you.
Mr. Brock has the floor—
