Evidence of meeting #52 for Official Languages in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was meetings.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Chair, I want to make sure I am understanding correctly. This is the end of the day on Tuesday. On Friday, we will have the eighth meeting. Tuesday of the week after the...
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
That's what I was saying before. This is the eighth meeting, already. Had it not been for the technical difficulties, it would be ending today, but we have all agreed, unanimously, to extend the meeting by one hour at the next meeting, to recover the time we lost.
Conservative
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Chair, so that we understand clearly, can you tell us how many meetings would be left under Ms. Ashton's proposal, starting on Friday, when today's meeting ends?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
Mr. Godin, even though it is a meeting requested under Standing Order 106(4), we are in a normal meeting. Today is the eighth meeting, which will be extended by one half-meeting, this coming Friday.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
That is why I clarified the situation just now, to make sure that everyone understood. Today is the eighth meeting, but there were technical difficulties...
Bloc
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
A meeting requested under Standing Order 106(4) is an emergency meeting. It isn't considered to be a meeting that is part of the clause-by-clause consideration.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
It's an addition to a normal meeting.
Mr. Serré, you have the floor.
Liberal
Marc Serré Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
I just want to properly understand what is being proposed. It we hold the eighth meeting on Friday and we then hold the two other meetings proposed by Ms. Ashton, that would make a total of three meetings after the one today.
Is that acceptable?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
Mr. Rayes would like to speak. We don't have him here often, so let's listen to him.
Independent
Alain Rayes Independent Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
I just wanted to know whether I was entitled to speak even though I am not an official member of the committee. I just want to make a comment.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
Like any member of Parliament, Mr. Rayes may address the committee, unless the committee objects. Obviously, he is not signed into the committee.
Independent
Alain Rayes Independent Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
So I have the committee's consent to say a few words. It won't be long, because I get the feeling that I will not have an opportunity to introduce my amendment. I am just going to make a comment.
I have been listening to the discussion for a while and I would first like to thank the members of the committee for their work. Everyone knows how important this bill is for francophones everywhere in Canada. I sincerely hope you will find a solution so you have more time and so that some extremely important amendments can be debated, like the ones about the language clauses that have been called for by all francophone advocacy groups in Canada. In fact, I will have an amendment to propose on that subject, but there will be others.
As an independent MP who is not taken any side on this subject, I ask that you find a consensus for extending this meeting by more than an hour. Everything possible needs to be done for francophone and anglophone minorities and for this bill to be satisfactory and for it to be possible to pass it officially in the House of Commons and then the Senate.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal René Arseneault
Thank you, Mr. Rayes.
Before going any further, in order to get out of this impasse, I propose that we talk instead about a number of hours. A meeting normally lasts two hours. So two meetings are equivalent to four hours, not counting any technical problem that might arise. Because there are only six minutes left before the meeting adjourns, could people unite around a quick proposal?
Mr. Godin, you have the floor.
Conservative
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
To summarize, we had set aside an hour for the ninth meeting and we have lost an hour and a half today. That makes two and a half hours. Then there is a proposal to add four meetings. Ms. Ashton is proposing two meetings. Two meetings equals four hours. Four hours plus two and a half hours makes six and a half hours.
Can we agree on seven hours or, at a minimum, six and a half hours? Is that compatible with Ms. Ashton's proposal?
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
