Public Safety Committee on June 2nd, 2008

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

You're prepared to sit through the summer?

[Some hon. members]

Yes.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

The question is, are you?

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Yes, of course.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay. Coming back to our discussion--I'll come to Ms. Priddy in a moment--the way I understand the motion is that we're going to meet on June 10, 16, 17, and 18 at 3:30 in the afternoon. Is that clear? It's the same time that we currently meet. Okay? The clerk has to know this in order to set up the rooms and so on.

Ms. Priddy, please.

[Penny Priddy, NDP, Surrey North, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I do support the motion, and I'm clear on the dates. I just want to be very sure that we are not going to then hear, “Oops, we can't finish the taser report because, gosh, there was that one more meeting needed.” I just want to put on the table that it's extremely important and urgent that the taser report be finished.

I expect it must be, because nobody has said we need those meetings or those days for that, but I need to have that reaffirmed for me.

So it will not in any way interfere? We will not hear back that it will interfere?

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Mr. Mayes, you're next.

[Colin Mayes, Conservative, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

Madam Thi Lac has made a motion. She has to withdraw her motion before we move into a motion to have those days set aside.

We already have an amendment on the table that hasn't been withdrawn. That has to be withdrawn first before we get into a new amendment to the motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

What I'm doing here, Mr. Mayes, is going by consensus. Does anybody object? I hope Ms. Thi Lac goes along with what we're planning here. Please say so if you don't.

If anybody has some strong objections.... I'm trying to draw together what we're saying here, and have everybody agree. It's probably not the best way to do things.

Mr. Dosanjh, please.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

I was going to respond to what Ms. Priddy was raising.

I'm not concerned that the taser study won't be completed. If there is any fear that it might not be, we can add extra meetings to make sure it happens.

[Penny Priddy, NDP, Surrey North, BC]

I want to be very clear about it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Yes. Okay.

The way I understand it is that the amendment is to meet June 10, 16, 17, and 18, at 3:30 in the afternoon, to fulfill the motion that Monsieur Ménard has brought forward, which we will vote on right after we're done this amendment.

Is there any more discussion on the amendment?

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

It's from 3:30 to 5:30.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

I think I said that.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Until 5:30.

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay, two hours. Yes.

Ms. Thi Lac.

[Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Could the clerk try to book a room where the hearings could be televised, please?

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay. That's a suggestion for the clerk.

Is there any more discussion on the amendment?

[Colin Mayes, Conservative, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Can I hear it a second time, please?

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay.

Ms. Thi Lac, can you revisit your amendment? They want to clarify what the amendment is.

[Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

When I moved the amendment, we had not received the schedule. The date of June 9 is no longer correct, since we are being told that we will be hearing witnesses on that day. My amendment was aimed at moving things forward quickly by establishing dates for the meetings that could be set aside to continue the study. I believe that June 10, 16, 17 and 18—

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

I just need your amendment. I don't need a long explanation.

I think your amendment—as we drew a consensus—was on four dates and times, so that's all I was asking you to do, just put it together so that you are clear and the rest of us are clear.

[Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

The amendment would read as follows: "and that the study begin on June 10, 2008, and continue on the 16, 17 and 18 of June, and that the meetings be held from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m."

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Okay. So it's from 3:30 to 5:30.

(Amendment agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Garry Breitkreuz]

Now the discussion, if any, will proceed to the motion.

Is there any discussion on the motion?

Ms. Priddy.