It's off topic, so—
Evidence of meeting #27 for National Defence in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was forces.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #27 for National Defence in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was forces.
A video is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Actually, my question had just been on the issue of the care of the ill and injured, specifically the topic of continuity of care between the time that a person is injured and the time they're medically released. It's this gap in medical care that is being cited as part of the reason that soldiers may be resorting to this.
With this, I would like to see it moved. I believe it is in order.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Stephen Fuhr
Given the nature of the request, the expert opinion is that it doesn't fit the criteria for what we're doing today. If you give us formal notice, the committee would probably hear from that on a further notice.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Mr. Chair, this motion is in order. It relates to a question that was just asked of the chief of the defence staff, which he answered, so it's on topic because it is relevant to the business and to the hearing that we have today. The chief of the defence staff just said that he agreed with the military ombudsman about how to move forward with the transition of our current serving members as they complete service and become veterans, especially those who are being medically released. It is essential that we deal with this motion right now and I'd ask that you call the question.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
I think you're accepting feedback to it now because Mr. Bezan provided some, so I would just like to say that I think that this motion is very worthy of our consideration. It would be beneficial for the committee if the mover would table it as a notice of motion, so that we could then deal with it in just two days from now. That will give it the current formal notice and it won't have to put the clerk at odds with another member and the chair. I think it would just better serve the committee if we could do it that way. I think that this warrants a good discussion. The problem is that we have four minutes left in this meeting. Therefore, I would respectfully ask that the mover just table it and then we can deal with it on Thursday.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
With all due respect, Mr. Chairman, I did table a motion asking that the committee recommend that the government adopt and accept these recommendations from the military ombudsman. However, the government members subsequently watered the motion down, so that it didn't mean anything. We're talking about soldiers' lives on the line and it is imperative that the recommendations be implemented. Each and every day, we risk losing another person who has served with distinction in our armed forces and for that reason, I'm not willing to table it. I'd like to see you call the question. We've already had a similar debate.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Stephen Fuhr
This is what we'll do. I'll call the question—to be conciliatory—and if people over on the other side want more time, there's a way they can handle it too. To be fair, I will put the question as tabled by—
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
On a point of order, you can't call a question until we've exhausted debate.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
Just to come back to that, I'm open to having a full discussion on this. What I'm really concerned about, Mr. Chair, with all due respect, is the fact that you've received advice from the clerk, who is the expert on this in terms of procedural matters. He is advising the chair. Another member of the committee is raising a point of order which is essentially challenging the recommendation that you've received from the clerk and I think that is not really healthy for the committee because obviously the chair is going to take the advice of the clerk. In the interests of being conciliatory on this and trying to work together, I give you my commitment that I will entertain this motion on Thursday and have a discussion about it when we can allocate more time to do that. I'm pleading once again to the member to submit this as a notice of motion, so that we can properly deliberate on it.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Stephen Fuhr
The advice to me is advice and, obviously, I get to make a decision. I've decided to be conciliatory to allow this debate to happen. That's fair enough, but to be fair, open, and honest here, you guys also have tools in your tool box. If you don't want to deal with this right now, you have ways to deal with that. That's up to you guys.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Chairman, I will be unable to participate on Thursday and it could be some time before we get to this again, so again, I ask the chair to call the question.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Stephen Fuhr
I can't call the question until debate is complete, so we're going to debate this. The floor is open for debate.
Go ahead, Mr. Gerretsen, and then, Ms. Romanado.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON
In that case, Mr. Chair, I move:
That we adjourn debate on this motion.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
I would like a recorded vote.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 5; nays 4)
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Stephen Fuhr
The debate is adjourned.
We still have a little bit of time. Is there another motion that somebody wanted to put on the table before we close for the day?
Go ahead, Ms. Romanado.
1 p.m.
Liberal
Sherry Romanado Liberal Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, QC
Before your point of order, Mr. Bezan, I had the floor. I would like to move the motion regarding the travel that was submitted last week that this committee needs to consider, given our timelines.
1 p.m.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
I have a point of order, Mr. Chair, you had not recognized Ms. Romanado when I moved a motion that the meeting be adjourned.
1 p.m.
Conservative