Status of Women Committee on Nov. 4th, 2010

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

All right, we're in public session.

In English, the motion is that the committee ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs to take the strongest actions possible to demand that the government of Iran permanently stay the execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, and release her and her son, and that furthermore this committee communicate its deep concern directly to the President of Iran.

Now in French:

That the committee ask the Minister of [...]

Sorry, is that the one? This is the new one? Okay.

That the committee ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs to take the strongest actions possible to demand that the government of Iran permanently stay the execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, and release her and her son, and that furthermore this committee communicate its deep concern directly to the President of Iran.

Sorry, I had trouble reading that item.

So I will call the question.

(Motion agreed to)

Let it be noted that the committee unanimously passed this motion, and we will now ask that we get this directly to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

I will tell you that it will go with just a simple covering note from the chair saying that the committee suspended its meeting today in order to present this urgent recommendation and we would ask you to please accept it as an urgent recommendation--that kind of thing.

Also, we need to write a letter from the committee to the President of Iran. That is going to take a little bit of time, and we will dispatch someone to do it right away as well.

Yes, Madame Demers.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Excuse me, Madam Chair, but wouldn't it be better to table the motion immediately in the House. We could make it clear that the committee has suspended its routine proceedings to table the motion at this time, and we could also present it to the minister at the same time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Yes.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Could the House not break with proceedings so that the motion could be tabled immediately? Is it not possible to table an urgent motion in the House?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

If we put it in the House I cannot.... I don't know if I can do it without waiting for presentation of reports.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Can we table an urgent motion to the House?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Yes, but I will have to get permission from the Speaker to break proceedings--

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

So it's possible then?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Let us find out if that can happen right away.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Yes. I think the Speaker would agree to this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

So perhaps we can.... All right, can we get somebody to do it then? Then we can continue to ask to keep this meeting. Or would you like the chair to lead the meeting and have Cathy--

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Madam Chair, it could be the person who moved the motion, if she's willing to do that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Just a second. Let us decide how we do this. Do we get one of the members of the committee who proposed the motion to do it, or because the motion has now been passed by this committee, it is now a motion of the committee, would you like me to go and Cathy can take over?

[Some hon. members]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

All right.

Cathy, can you take the chair while I run over, please?

I'd like to suspend for just one minute before we go in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]