Public Safety Committee on March 20th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Apparently it is.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

If we meet on Thursday, is it not too late? We'd have to meet tomorrow.

I just want to say that I'm adamantly opposed to this bill, and I don't want it on the record that we've in any way expressed support of it by doing nothing.

I would want to vote that we defeat the bill, because it's just totally inappropriate for what has been—

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

But would you not support an extension?

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I would support the extension, no problem.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

That's basically what we're doing right now.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I understand that, Mr. Chair, but what I'm concerned about is that we leave it until Thursday and it's already deemed approved on Thursday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

I give my assurance that I will do my best to get it done tomorrow.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I'm not questioning that; I'm questioning the timing. As of midnight on Wednesday, is it deemed approved, or is it deemed approved, I suppose, at 4:30 or 5 o'clock on Thursday?

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Can I make a suggestion to have a meeting of this committee to deal with the bill tomorrow? That can be cancelled if we--

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Tomorrow is Wednesday. I wouldn't have an opportunity to table this until after 3 o'clock, so we'd have to schedule our meeting for 3:30 in the afternoon.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

That's fine with me.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

There's already a meeting scheduled from 3:30 to 5:30.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Where do you want to go? I'm pretty sure everybody wants to put this bill off. I think we're dealing with scenarios here that really are very unlikely.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Can I ask the clerk whether it's a standing rule of the House that says it's deemed approved?

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Yes, we can't change that.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

So if it's a standing rule of the House, it doesn't matter what motion we put forward, does it?

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Louise will call a table officer--

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

I think we have to have this clarified, because I don't think we want to deem this as an approved bill.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Do you think we could stand this down to the end of the meeting?

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay. Yes.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Sure.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Mr. Comartin.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Chair, apparently the more efficient way of dealing with this is dealing with it with the House leaders this afternoon at 3:30. We would then know, if we can each speak to our House leaders before then, whether we're going to get all-party support, and that should satisfy it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Yes, it should, as long as there are no independents who have any concerns here.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

We're getting some information right now from our clerk that we should be able to have by the end of this meeting anyway, right?