Official Languages Committee on June 15th, 2010

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

You're filibustering.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Order.

Just hold on a second.

I invite you to make your point, but if you have to intervene, please do so through me.

This applies to every member, so that we can proceed with this meeting in an orderly way.

Ms. Glover, I invite you to keep on making your point. If you have any comments to address to any member of the committee, you can do so through me.

This applies to every member.

Is it a point of order, Mr. Godin?

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chair, I want to apologize. I have a lot of respect for filibustering. Carry on, then.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

So, it is not....

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Always abusing the point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

So then it is not a point of order.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Exactly, once again.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Ms. Glover, you may continue.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I will try my best to shorten it. I thought this was informational for those who hadn't read it.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

I find it interesting.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

The Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans uses a time-based approach. It allocates ten minutes to the witnesses. Then the procedure is as follows: ten minutes for the first questioner of the Liberal Party, seven minutes for the first questioner of the Bloc Québécois, five minutes for the questioner of the New Democratic Party and ten minutes for the first questioner of the Conservative Party. As you can see, the speaking time is adjusted to let...

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

If the committee members want to break for a few minutes, we can, but I think it would be worthwhile to hear all of Ms. Glover's remarks. Afterwards, the members could decide what comes next. It has barely been a half-hour.

Forgive me, Ms. Glover.

Please, I would invite all members to speak one at a time.

[An hon. member]

On n'est pas obligés de l'écouter.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

No, you're not obliged to listen to her, but if you have anything to say I would invite you to move outside of the room, because I want to listen to what's going on at this committee.

Ms. Glover, you were at the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you very much.

And if there is a subsequent round, the rotation is the same, but each questioner receives five minutes.

In the Standing Committee on Health, there again, everyone asks questions once, except the NDP, which receives two rounds of questioning.

The same goes for the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. By the end of the second round, everyone has had a chance to ask questions, except the NDP, which is allowed to ask questions twice.

In the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, by the end of the third round, things are more balanced. By the end of the second round, the Liberals have spoken three times, the Conservatives, three times, the Bloc Québécois, twice, and the NDP, twice. The third round of questioning begins with the Conservative Party, followed by the Bloc Québécois, the Liberal Party and finally the NDP. That split is not quite as balanced as in other committees, but it is still better than ours in the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights also uses a system that is based on the participation of every member. The first questioner of each party receives seven minutes to question witnesses, and then five minutes are allocated to each subsequent questioner, alternating between government and opposition members, until all members have had a chance to participate. Once again, everyone participates.

And we all know how the Standing Committee on Official Languages works, but I will go over it anyway. Witnesses are given ten minutes for their opening statement, then five minutes are allocated to the first questioner of each party. In the second round, the Standing Committee on Official Languages gives speaking time to the Liberal Party, followed by the Bloc Québécois, the Conservative Party and finally the New Democratic Party. So, by the end of the second round, Mr. Godin of the NDP has already had two opportunities to ask questions, even before every committee member has had a chance to speak. In the third round, five minutes are allocated in the following order: Liberal Party, Conservative Party and Bloc Québécois. At that point, every member of the Liberal Party has had a chance to speak once, and one Bloc Québécois member has had a chance to speak twice. Only three members of the Conservative Party have had a chance to ask questions once, while the NDP member has had a chance to speak twice. In the fourth round, the following order applies: Conservative Party, Liberal Party, NDP again and Bloc Québécois again. At that point, one member of the Liberal Party has spoken twice, some Conservative members have yet to speak, the NDP member has had the chance to speak three times, and two Bloc Québécois members have already spoken twice, all the while, some members on this side have still not had the chance to speak. This system tramples upon the right of every elected member to be valued and to participate.

In the Standing Committee on National Defence, there again, everyone has had a chance to speak by the end of the second round. That is a fair and balanced approach.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates...

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Excuse me, Ms. Glover.

Ms. Sgro, if you would like to carry on a conversation, I would invite you to take it outside the committee. I am having trouble hearing the member.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Ms. Glover, go right ahead. Please continue.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

We certainly would not want to disturb her. Go ahead.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Actually, if you are going to attend a committee meeting, the least you can do is listen to the member who is speaking. Out of respect for myself, the interpreters and the other committee members, I would ask that you please...

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I was the one speaking, not her.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

That also goes for you, Mr. Bélanger.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

I get your point. Stop interrupting Ms. Glover, please. Let her continue to enlighten us.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Oh, cheeky... That's cheeky--

[An hon. member]

We have an hour and 20 minutes to go.