Evidence of meeting #141 for Public Safety and National Security in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
I'm sorry. I do apologize. It's my blood sugar.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
The longer this banter goes on, the less the blood sugar will be replenished.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Is there any debate on this amendment?
(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Shall clause 41 as amended carry?
(Clause 41 as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Shall the title carry?
Liberal
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
I would like to add something to the bill when it gets reported. I don't know the best time to have that done.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Good question. What is the answer to that?
During the course of the discussion, there were a couple things....
Conservative
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Chair, I'd like to move that we attach a note to the report stating that we wish to make known the following points.
After the study of Bill C-83, the committee wishes to highlight the opposition members' disapproval of this flawed bill and report the following to the House.
They report that the committee’s role is to review legislation, using all the information needed to make informed decisions but that the minister has withheld information deemed by members of the government, opposition and witnesses to be essential in determining the effectiveness of the legislation—namely the cost and implementation of the bill.
Furthermore, members of the committee have decided to provide blind faith in the minister despite the role of the committee to hold the minister to account.
We want the House to be made aware that this legislation was deemed by witnesses and members as incomplete without any costing or implementation and should not proceed without a detailed plan and explanation from the minister.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
I think that should have been moved after we completed the consideration of Bill C-83. I was just partway through, and Ms. Damoff was asking a question about an additional report to the House beyond the bill.
The bill has to be reported independently. If you wish to add a report of commentary, you can do a committee report of some kind. You may wish to pursue that. I don't know.
I am about to finish here.
Shall the committee order a reprint of the bill as amended for the use of the House at report stage?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
I want to first of all thank the officials for being here. This was a four-hour session, and we appreciate your patience and your diligence and your knowledge. It's been very helpful to the deliberations of the committee.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
I want to make a commentary on the pressure that we're putting on drafters.
This has been a bill that's under a certain external pressure, shall we say, and the drafters will be literally working all weekend to have it in shape for Monday.
I'm wondering whether there is any appetite—you don't have to answer this question immediately—for the clerk—or the chair, for that matter—to write to the Speaker and hint that possibly more assistance should be given to the people who support us so well.
This is not an isolated event. Legislative clerks are under enormous pressure to produce product. As you saw over the course of the four hours, if the legislative clerk is not right on top of things, it gets very confused very quickly.
Can I see an indication as to whether that's appropriate?
Conservative
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
I would like the committee to support....
Chair, I only have this in English, and we just made photocopies of it. Can we distribute it or not? Should I just read it?
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Was it something different from what was presented over here? Is it a new issue?