Public Safety Committee on Oct. 30th, 2023

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

—to say that I am not being relevant for responding to him.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Order, Mr. Genuis.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Now you are interrupting me again.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Genuis, come to order. You had a chance to respond to Mr. Julian. Let us get back to NDP-34, if you will, so that—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Was that in a narrowly prescribed time limit that is nowhere in the rules, Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Once again, I have not prescribed time limits.

Go ahead, but you need to stay on topic, which is NDP-34.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, I am responding to the suggestion, but with respect to NDP-34, an accusation was levelled by Mr. Julian that there was some kind of filibuster going on with NDP-34. On the subject of NDP-34, I think it's important to respond to that allegation about the questions we are asking.

The process, as it happened, was that Conservative members who are regular members of this committee—I am not a regular member of this committee—were asked about their availability in a particular time slot outside the normal time slot.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

On a point of order—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Mr. Genuis, you're out of order.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

No, I'm not.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

The matter of the scheduling of this meeting—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I'm not out of order, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

—is not a matter for discussion today. That was a matter discussed by the majority of the committee off-line, but it was a decision of the majority of the committee. It was a majority decision. That matter has been addressed. We have scheduled this time. It's not a subject of discussion at this time.

Please return to the matter of NDP-34.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I'm not out of order, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I have Mr. Lake, on a point of order.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB]

I'm also subbing in on the committee. You just said that the decision was made in an off-line meeting of some members of the committee. Were all members of the committee part of that off-line, unofficial—

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

It was not an off-line meeting. The decision was—

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB]

You just said there was an off-line meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

No, I didn't.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB]

It was an off-line discussion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

I have Ms. O'Connell, on a point of order.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

First of all, the lack of respect being shown to you in this matter when you're speaking—being interrupted with, “Yes, it is,” and, “No, it's not”—is frankly embarrassing, coming from those who are supposed be experienced members. I would suggest that they stop embarrassing themselves.

On the point of order, in terms of the questions about why we are here right now and what is occurring, I find it incredibly interesting that one hour of extra work on a study has caused such fragile egos to be so upset—

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Is this a point of order?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

—that the good old boys have to come here and disrupt important legislation. I hope they will get back to—

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

What is the relevance...?