Official Languages Committee on Nov. 22nd, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

I understand what you asked, but—

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Now I am asking the committee to take a position. I'm requesting unanimous consent for this notice to be public.

Do I have the committee's unanimous consent?

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

That's not a problem. You may go ahead.

I thought you wanted to make a connection with Mr. Beaulieu's sub-amendment.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Yes, there is a connection.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

What is it?

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Before making the connection, I ask that the committee decide whether this notice of motion can be made public.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Did you just read it?

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Is there another paragraph or two?

Go ahead.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I've finished.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

All right.

What did you want to do?

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I want to know if the committee can make it public. The people who are watching now heard it, but the people who will be doing searches on the website tomorrow have to have access to it. Do I have unanimous consent?

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

We've said yes. That's already done.

[An hon. member]

We haven't given our consent.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

All right.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Haven't we given unanimous consent?

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Chair, I'm belabouring the point here because I sense some resistance on the part of the members on the other side of the table.

Now, is it—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Just a moment, Mr. Godin.

Go ahead, Mr. Drouin.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

I can't give my consent because I wasn't here last week.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

You can still give your consent all the same.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

I can't consent to something I haven't seen.

It's public now because you read it. Now it will be on the record. I'm sure Joe Citizen is smart enough to understand that the spirit of what you just said is now in the committee record. It will also be available on the parliamentary website because you just read it in public.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

We can't go back. What's done is done.

What I want to know is what's the connection.

Go ahead, Mr. Godin.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Chair, I want to thank the Bloc Québécois, which has introduced a sub-amendment that refers to meetings rather than dates, whereas the motion of my colleague Mr. Serré concerns dates. I'm particularly uncomfortable discussing a motion that refers to November 17. Since today is November 22, his motion is no longer valid.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Exactly.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I did this last week, but I'd like to invite my colleague once again to withdraw his motion so we can resume debate and thus move forward on this matter and defend French in Canada.