Evidence of meeting #2 for Official Languages in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Michel Marcotte
Lucie Lecomte  Analyst

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg

Okay.

4 p.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

Should I be the one to move the motion?

4 p.m.

The Clerk

You may move the motion.

4 p.m.

Bloc

Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

I think everyone agrees.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

An amendment would be much less complicated since a motion would come later. A lot of water may flow under the bridge between now and then.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg

I have a question for the clerk.

According to our procedures, should the motion be moved 48 hours in advance or is that not necessary?

4 p.m.

The Clerk

It is not necessary, because the study is ongoing.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg

Okay.

4 p.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

So I'm asking the clerk what the easiest and quickest way is to say that the committee has to report to the House at the end.

4 p.m.

The Clerk

You could move a motion suggesting that the committee produce a report on the enumeration of rights holders after hearing witnesses on February 27, March 10 and 12.

4 p.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

You read my mind.

4 p.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Can you say it again, Mr. Arseneault?

4 p.m.

Some hon. members

Ha, ha!

4 p.m.

The Clerk

Have you noted it?

4 p.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

That is exactly what I wanted to say.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg

Mr. Angus, you have the floor.

4 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Thank you. I often end up saying in the House that I'm the only anarchist in the world who wants to follow all the rules.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg

Right.

4 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

I've never heard of our amending or adding to a motion once we've passed it. The motion has been passed.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg

That's right.

4 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

I would think that we have goodwill around the table to just do a report. I don't know if we have to officially tell ourselves that we're doing a report.

In any committee I've been on, I've always pushed to have a report because people should hear what we're doing. I would just say that we're all in agreement. I don't think it's going to be controversial. I expected the report. I don't think we need another motion to add to the motion.

4 p.m.

Liberal

René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

All right, but then we need days or hours to produce the report and to work on that report. We have to go through it.

4 p.m.

Liberal

Emmanuella Lambropoulos Liberal Saint-Laurent, QC

Right.

4 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

We haven't even come up with our witness list. Let's get our witnesses. Let's look at it. If we decide that someone has 800 witnesses and it's problematic, then we'll talk about that. If we have a few witnesses, it's going to be pretty straightforward. This isn't a big one.

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg

Okay.

Mr. Généreux, you have the floor.