Natural Resources Committee on Oct. 30th, 2023

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

I have a point of order, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

I'll address that, and then I'll go to your point of order, Mr. Brock.

Colleagues, as we've mentioned previously, let's focus on using points of order for procedural issues that are relevant to procedure, not for debate.

I would also ask committee members, through their debate, to focus on the motion that's been moved and how it relates to the work we're doing on Bill C-50 here today. Thank you.

Mr. Brock, are you on a point of order regarding Mr. Patzer or Mr. Angus?

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

I'm on a point of order based on the comments of Mr. Angus.

You heard Mr. Angus's commentary with respect to Mr. Patzer, which I find to be not only offensive but unparliamentary, claiming he was not proposing a relevant amendment on the floor to improve this bill but rather making a personal angry attack against Mr. Angus himself.

Again, I'm not asking for a ruling—

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

[Inaudible—Editor]

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Angus, I have the floor. You do not. Thank you.

I'm asking that the chair not make a particular ruling per se, but rather that it be another cautionary tale to all committee members that we need to be respectful. We're all elected officials. We are all honourable members of Parliament. We should conduct ourselves accordingly and show respect.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you, Mr. Brock.

I think you've clearly stated in your point of order what the expectations for everybody on the committee should be and that we focus on the bill and the clauses at hand.

Ms. Gladu, you have a point of order. Go ahead.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

No, I don't have a point of order. I want to be on the speaking list after Mr. Patzer finishes. Thanks.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Yes, we have a number of people on the speaking order, Ms. Gladu. We'll put you down. Thank you.

Mr. Patzer, you were at “affordability”, I believe, in the moving of your amendment. Go ahead.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Thank you.

I was talking about affordability, economic growth and private sector investment, which we know are going to be of utmost importance to the people of Timmins—James Bay.

I think they would definitely be concerned about the fact that their member missed my two-hour intervention previously, as there are many great points and projects that we spoke about. We spoke at length about what's going in natural resource development up in Timmins—James Bay.

It was unfortunate that Mr. Angus wasn't there. I trust that he will go back to read through all of the fantastic things that are happening in his riding, so he can refresh his own memory for when he goes back there, maybe over the Christmas break.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Could you repeat those great things in my riding? I love what's going on in my riding.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Go ahead, Mr. Genuis, on a point of order.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

I think it's clear why the Speaker stopped Mr. Angus from speaking in the House, given his constant interruptions and contribution to disorder today.

I hope that you, as chair, can encourage Mr. Angus to not be shouting at my colleague while he's intervening. I recall some of the things that Mr. Angus used to say if someone so much as whispered or sneezed when he was speaking, so I hope you will preserve some pretense of fairness and allow my colleague to speak uninterrupted.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you, Mr. Genuis, for your point of order.

Mr. Angus, go ahead on a point of order.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I was certainly interested in hearing what my colleague knew at all about Timmins—James Bay.

I would like to apologize in advance to any European soccer player I might offend by asking my colleagues to stop rolling around on the pitch and demanding a red card. Just stick to the amendment at hand.

We have work to get done. We're going to be here all night. I'd like to know if they're going to move this amendment or they're going to talk about it.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you, Mr. Angus.

Colleagues, I'll ask us to get back to where we were. We have a number of people on the speaking order, so please allow a member to finish and move their motion.

Mr. Patzer has a point of order on Mr. Angus, who had point-of-ordered him.

Go ahead.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

It's on his point of order, as I was saying.

For him to come in here and to allege that Conservatives are a bunch of European soccer players.... In the context of what he is actually saying, he's alleging that we're all a bunch of flopping, whining and crying...like, “Oh, Mr. Chair, oh, oh.”

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I have a point of order.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

That's not what's going on, but that's what he's alleging.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I'm sorry, Chair, but I have a point of order.

On the point of order, I didn't hear that. Could he repeat that about what Conservatives are like? It didn't come through properly on my translation.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

This is not a point of order. That is a point of debate. It's a point of debate.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Colleagues, let's focus on the work at hand today.

If somebody said I was like Messi, the great soccer player, I would take that as a compliment personally.

I would like everyone to focus on not getting off the track of the work that needs to be done here today, the cause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-50.

I ask all colleagues to maybe, as Mr. Simard said very eloquently earlier, take a deep breath and reflect, so that we can move forward on the work at hand that we've been asked to do.

On that, I'm going back to you, Mr. Patzer, so that you can continue on. If there's a procedural issue, please identify it so that we can deal with the procedural issue. If not, let's not engage in lengthy debate. Let's get back to where we were, because you have the floor, sir, to speak to the amendment you're bringing forward.

Go ahead.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

The procedural question I was getting to in my point of order, Mr. Chair, was about deliberately inflammatory language by members of this committee. Mr. Angus has egregiously breached that numerous times in the past. I would expect, Mr. Chair, that you would be judicious in the way that you handle the conduct and behaviour of members of this committee and that the rules would apply fairly and equally to all parties.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you for your point of order.

I'm going now to—

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

I didn't say I was on a point of order.