Evidence of meeting #80 for Natural Resources in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was point.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal George Chahal
Mr. Patzer, I'm going to ask you to hold for one moment until all members....
You've raised a point of order on Ms. Dabrusin's point of order. I want you to be clear. We don't want to engage in debate. What I want you to do is just be clear and succinct directly on what Ms. Dabrusin's point of order was, which is what you raised a point of order on.
Go ahead. You have the floor on the point of order on what Ms. Dabrusin said.
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Thank you.
It's on a point that she had made and I think this helps to provide clarity.
I am reading and quoting from Bosc and Gagnon, so I am not debating her.
House of Commons Procedure and Practice says, “If a member wishes to raise a question of privilege during a committee meeting, or an incident arises in connection with the committee’s proceedings that may constitute a breach of privilege, the committee Chair allows the member to explain the situation.”
Charlie, it's page 1060, if you want to read along.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal George Chahal
Mr. Patzer, I've given you a number of opportunities. This does not have anything to do with what was raised by Ms. Dabrusin on the point of order.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal George Chahal
Mr. Patzer, we have a point of order by Ms. Lapointe on your point of order.
Ms. Lapointe, please go ahead on the point of order.
Liberal
Viviane LaPointe Liberal Sudbury, ON
My point of order is on the disorder that's occurring within this committee with not yielding the floor and persistent interruptions. I'm going to ask again that we each respect the person who has the floor, and that we also respect the chair. I have seen cross-talk, talking over the chair, talking over whoever has the mike.
Can we please try to conduct ourselves in an orderly way and respect the proceedings?
Thank you.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Chair, it's now turning into a mob against Ms. Lapointe again.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal George Chahal
Mr. Patzer, first of all on your point of order, that was on something that occurred a few days ago that was ruled on and sustained by this committee. Colleagues, we are at time for the committee meeting today. I know we're having an engaging debate this evening and we're going to endeavour to get further resources for tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you all upon that happening.
The meeting is suspended for this evening.
[The meeting was suspended at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 8]
[The meeting resumed at 11:04 a.m., Monday, November 20]
Liberal
The Chair Liberal George Chahal
I call this meeting to order.
Welcome back to meeting number 80 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources.
Today we are meeting in public to discuss committee business.
In accordance with our routine motion, I am informing the committee that all remote participants have not successfully completed the required connection tests in advance of this meeting, but we do have quorum here fully today with everybody here in attendance.
When we previously suspended, Mr. Angus had the floor and we had resumed debate on the subamendment by Mr. Falk.
Mr. Angus, you have the floor.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Thank you, Chair.
I think we're now six meetings into my attempt to have the floor so that I can carry out my basic function as a parliamentarian, which is to participate in legislation, legislation that was voted on in the House and passed to our committee, and so, it's a priority for our committee to address the motion.
Being that we've had so much monkey business, people might forget what we were actually discussing. I'm going to read the motion and then explain why we need to address these.
The motion that was brought by the Liberal government for debate by the parties was:
That given Bill C-50, An Act respecting accountability, transparency and engagement to support the creation of sustainable jobs for workers and economic growth in a net-zero economy, and Bill C-49, An Act to amend the Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada—Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, have both been referred to committee, that the committee initiate its consideration of both C-50 and C-49 with the following schedule:
a) That the minister and officials be invited to appear before the committee on Bill C-50, on a date to be determined by the Chair but no later than Wednesday November 8, 2023;
I will stop there. November 8 has passed because of the monkey business that was going on with the Conservatives. The minister who could've come and explained his position was not given that opportunity and I, as an opposition member, was not given the opportunity to cross-examine the minister.
b) That the minister and officials be invited to appear before the committee on C-49 on a date to be determined by the Chair but no later than Wednesday, December 6, 2023;
We haven't crossed that date yet, but it's moving up on us.
c) That members submit their lists of suggested witnesses concerning Bill C-50 by 12 pm on Friday November 3, 2023—
—which we have done as New Democrats—
—and that the Chair, clerk and analysts create witness panels which reflect the representation of the parties on the committee and, once complete, that the Chair begin scheduling those meetings;
d) That members submit their lists of suggested witnesses concerning Bill C-49 by 12 pm on Friday November 10, 2023 and that the Chair, clerk and analysts create witness panels which reflect the representation of the parties on the committee, and, once complete, that the Chair begin scheduling those meetings;
e) That the Chair seek additional meeting times and that meetings be scheduled, if resources available, for up to three hours each;
f) That the Chair issue press releases for C-50 and C-49 inviting written submissions from the public and establishing a deadline for those submissions;
g) That the Committee hold at least four meetings with witnesses on C-50 before clause-by-clause consideration for C-50 is scheduled;
h) That the Committee hold at least four meetings with witnesses on C-49 before clause-by-clause consideration for C-49 is scheduled; and
i) That the Chair set deadlines for the submission of proposed amendments for C-50 and C-49 in advance of the beginning of their respective clause-by-clause considerations, but no sooner than after the completion of the respective witness meetings for each, and that the Members of the Committee, as well as Members who are not part of a caucus represented on the Committee, submit to the Clerk all of their proposed amendments to C-50 and C-49 no later than 5 pm on the respective days established by the Chair, in both official languages, and that these be distributed to Members.
That's what we set out to discuss, I believe, six meetings ago.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal George Chahal
Mr. Angus, if you could just pause for one second, we have a point of order from Mr. Patzer.
Go ahead, Mr. Patzer.
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Thank you, Mr. Angus, for reading the original motion.
I'd also remind committee members that there is a substantive amendment to the motion from the Conservatives.
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Do you want me to read that in as well, so we can get that in there?
Liberal
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I thought we were going to finish points of order before we got to the next point of order.