Evidence of meeting #74 for Public Safety and National Security in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was point.
A video is available from Parliament.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Doug Shipley
Mr. Genuis, wait just one moment, please.
I'm not sure, but Mr. Julian might have the same point of order. I was just talking with the clerk.
Go ahead on your point of order, Mr. Julian.
5:40 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
If the intention is to provoke a filibuster to delay consideration of Bill C-20, I think there are two considerations, Mr. Chair.
First, of course Mr. Genuis would be aware of both the rule of repetition and staying within the scope of his motion, and that will mean repeated points of order, because he does have a tendency to repeat and to fall outside of his motion.
Second, though, we've now had the witnesses before us for two consecutive meetings. If his intention and the Conservatives' intention is to filibuster the rest of the meeting, it would seem to me it's being inconsiderate of the witnesses and that we should contemplate releasing them again. The cost of this meeting and the previous meeting, both of which were filibustered by Conservatives, has been in the tens of thousands of dollars. All of our witnesses before us have important jobs they are taken away from to become witnesses for this committee and for clause-by-clause on Bill C-20. I find it very unfortunate that their time is being wasted, the public's time is being wasted and resources are being wasted on this filibuster that really could be resolved off-line, I think, over the next few days.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Doug Shipley
Thank you.
That is exactly what was going through my head, Mr. Julian, as you raised your hand.
Now, I can't read minds—I wish I could—so I don't know exactly what the intentions are.
I am going to speak to the witnesses right now.
I tried to speak to you earlier, but we got distracted. Thank you. Thank you very much for being here again today. I haven't even had a chance to introduce you all yet. Thank you for being here last time. Thank you—I'm going to mention it again—for missing the Blue Jays game for this great work you're doing here tonight. It is much appreciated. I know it must be frustrating to sit here.
I don't know what to do exactly, Mr. Julian, because I don't know the intentions.
Mr. Genuis, go ahead.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Chair, I can speak to that and hopefully shed some light for Mr. Julian. I don't think his intervention was a point of order, but I didn't object. I didn't have a problem with allowing him to—
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Yes, absolutely. I have the floor, so I'm happy to address my intentions.
On this side of the House, our intention is to firmly insist that the representatives of the family members of Paul Bernardo's victims not be silenced by parliamentarians who think that their—
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
—voices' coming to committee is inconvenient.
That is my intention today, and that is our intention.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Doug Shipley
Thank you. I'll give you the floor again because it is your turn.
I am going to make a decision because it's my decision to make. Just seeing how this has gone for an hour and 15 minutes, I will let the witnesses go today. If what you're looking for is consensus, I don't think we're going to get it today with, I think, 45 minutes. We haven't been able to reach it in an hour and 15 minutes.
I apologize very much to the witnesses.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Doug Shipley
If anybody strongly disagrees....
Before you pipe up too quickly, Ms. Ferreri has a point of order.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
I just thought, as one more chance and one more lost hope, again, as a new person, is there...?
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Doug Shipley
You're right.
Ms. Ferreri, I'm sorry.
Mr. Bittle, you are correct, and I apologize to you.
5:45 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Chair, as we're going through what is now hour four of using a horrific situation in my community, I'm curious if it could be answered for us—and it would shed some light on things—whether anyone has spoken to Mr. Danson or the victims' families.
5:45 p.m.
An hon. member
Yes, they have.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
5:45 p.m.
Liberal
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Doug Shipley
This is turning into debate, everyone.
Mr. Bittle, thank you for your point of order.
Ms. Ferreri, do you have a point of order?
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
I have a quick point of order.
If I could call one more time for unanimous consent that we approve that we're going to study this so that we can have the rights of victims..., then we can go right to Bill C-20. It's a unanimous consent motion. I'm putting it on the floor for the second time. I think we all want the same thing because Mr. Julian is exactly right.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
5:45 p.m.
Some hon. members
No.
5:45 p.m.
The Chair
No, we do not.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Doug Shipley
Thank you, witnesses. I wish one of you had my phone number so that you could text me the score. Enjoy what's left of the game. We'll see you soon. Have a nice Thanksgiving weekend.
Let's get back to.... I'd say, “Let's back to order”, but we really haven't had a lot of order, so let's get back to something.
Ms. O'Connell, I think we left off with you on a point of order.
5:45 p.m.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I move that we adjourn this meeting.