Evidence of meeting #4 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was commission.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
Good morning, everyone.
I have circulated a memo and information in regard to the issue that came up at our last meeting, to try to resolve it. I think it's been presented.
Mr. Jean.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
I would let the committee know that I did review the blues and there are some discrepancies in relation to what was finalized. It certainly wasn't what we remembered, or at least what most of us remembered.
This is a motion on time allocation for questioning witnesses. I'm asking that the motion agreed to on May 4, 2006, be rescinded, and replaced by the following: that witnesses be given ten minutes for their opening statement; that, for the questioning of witnesses, seven minutes be allocated to each party for the first round; and that, for all subsequent rounds, five minutes be allocated to each party for their members that have not yet spoken, starting with the official opposition, and any subsequent time would be divided evenly between opposition members at the discretion of the chair.
11:20 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
I understand that the parliamentary secretary is providing his notice of motion on the exact wording, which would mean that we would be discussing the voting on this at the next meeting.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
As discussed at the last meeting, he was asked to bring forward this motion to clarify.
11:20 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
He raised concerns about what he believed to be his motion, which actually was Mr. Laframboise's motion. What he is doing now is proposing a motion. That requires 48 hours' notice. So I will take it as a notice of motion for next Thursday's meeting.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
It's not a motion, it's a clarification of the blues. My understanding further is that a notice of motion was....
I don't know what form this motion is required in, but certainly all parties were aware that this was going to be brought forward, because the committee asked that it be brought forward at this particular meeting.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
Any other comments?
The advice I've received is that it is not a new motion, it's a clarification, and we can actually vote on it today, as discussed at the end of last meeting.
11:20 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Chair, what was discussed at the end of last meeting was to clarify what was in the blues. Obviously Mr. Jean has done that. Since we don't have copies of the blues in front of us, I believe what he's doing is introducing a notice of motion. That is, of course, his right, but we've already established rules of procedure, and these require 48 hours for a motion with the exact wording, as he is presenting to us now.
I wouldn't suggest that we spend any more time on this today. Very clearly it's a notice of motion that would come to Thursday's meeting. We should move on and proceed to the witnesses.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
My advice is that the direction was given to bring this back to this committee to be dealt with at this meeting, and that is what I'm prepared to do.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
The blues have been checked and the clarification is in front of you. If you want to check the blues, you're entitled to do that.
Mr. Laframboise.
11:20 a.m.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
You are telling me that the clarification is right here before me. It is written only in English, and that annoys me quite a bit.
11:20 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Documents must be identical in both languages. I'm sorry, but I think it would be more appropriate to hear from the witness.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Sorry, Mr. Chair, this is not included in my motion. It has nothing to do with my motion.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
It was for the direction for the committee that I asked to have it. It was just so that you could actually see it. It's not part of the motion. The motion is in French and in English...or the clarification.
I'm sorry, you should have it.
11:20 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Chair, given the circumstances, maybe we should just proceed with the meeting.
I would strongly urge the chair to follow the rules of procedure that we adopted at the beginning of this session. They indicate a 48-hour period for notices of motion. We now have wording of a motion. The 48-hour period would start from the moment we received that. We can proceed to discussion and debate on Thursday.
I don't understand the urgency of trying to ram this through improperly, with English-only documents supporting it.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
I would have to clarify, Mr. Julian, that the motion is in French and English. It is a clarification, and the instruction was given to the committee last week to bring it forward. The discussion we had at that meeting was whether we would bring it forward at the beginning or at the end of this meeting. The motion is on the floor.
Mr. Laframboise.
11:20 a.m.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
The motion as tabled amends another motion. Can the clerk reassure me that the motion we are voting on today is in accordance with the Standing Orders of the House of Commons? The motion must be consistent with the rules, since it is not a clarification. It reads: “That the motion agreed to on May 4, 2006, be rescinded, and replaced by the following:”. This motion, therefore, replaces the one that was adopted.
I agree completely with what as been tabled, but it must be done in accordance with the rules.
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
11:25 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
This motion has just been distributed; there's no clearer contravention of the code of procedure we've put in place. This motion has just been distributed. We have just seen it. We now have to consult with our caucuses and consult with our whips. This motion has just been distributed. Given that we adopted, as a committee, the procedure that notices of motion require 48 hours, like every other committee has, and given that this procedure has been enforced by every other committee that I am aware of....
This is a notice of motion. It is not a motion that's to be brought forward, it is a notice of motion. It will be debated and discussed at our next meeting.
Mr. Chair, there can't be a clearer contravention than this of the rules of procedure that we put into place. I don't understand why you're trying to push this when very clearly we adopted rules of procedure and very clearly we have just received a motion. In 48 hours, on Thursday, we will debate it and discuss it.