Evidence of meeting #53 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 40th Parliament, 3rd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was centres.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Chair, nothing personal, but I'd like to challenge that decision.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
The chair's ruling has been challenged. It's non-debatable, and I'll go to Chad for the call of the vote.
Chad Mariage Procedural Clerk
The question is, shall the ruling of the chair be sustained?
(Ruling of the chair overturned)
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
With that decision I am going to vacate the chair, and I'll ask Mr. McCallum as the vice-chair to accede to the chair.
Thank you.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
We have a whips' arrangement about this. It's too easy for the Conservatives to win a majority, and we've already had a decision. If the chair is not able to attend, the opposition will keep the majority as is. You have to ask a colleague to leave.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
I don't have to ask anything. He challenged the chair. You have to live with the consequences.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
In my mind, looking at what's been happening over the last little while, he does not feel that this committee is working adequately enough, because there's no consistency.
With respect, we don't have a chair now. I'd like a chair so we could actually have a discussion about this, because I think there's value in this discussion.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
I will ask you one question. If we have to take a vote during the rest of the meeting, how many votes do the Conservatives have? If McCallum takes the chair—
Conservative
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
If we have to take a vote or a decision by vote—
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
If we have to take a decision by vote—if McCallum or I take the chair—in your view, how many votes do you think the Conservatives have?
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
I don't think anything, Mr. Guimond. I know that I have one vote as a member of this committee and each of the people in the room has one vote.
Monsieur Guimond, I notice there are only...how many Conservatives here? We have not substituted for Mr. Tweed.
I don't know of any discussion with whips, so if there is something in relation to that, please advise me.
But I would like to talk to--
Liberal
Liberal
Gerry Byrne Liberal Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Are you assuming the role as chair?
Liberal
Liberal
Gerry Byrne Liberal Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL
Perfect. I believe I raised this question directly with the chair in one of our last meetings.
I believe the committee transcripts will indicate that the Conservatives consented to an arrangement that if the chair were to have to vacate for any reason—I distinctly recall the chair giving notice to the committee that he had other business at 5:30 p.m. and he might have to vacate the chair—there would be guarantees that the mixture amongst parties and votes on the committee would not change.
Are we to believe now that there is a deception afoot—a very deliberate deception—that the words of the chair were not valid back then? I would like to have the transcript read back to me, if I could, on exactly what the chair said.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate your taking the chair for this meeting.
We've been very successful over the past five years, as a committee generally, and we--
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
As I was saying, Mr. Chair, we've worked very well, and today I've had a couple of comments that I would describe as coming from no less than the peanut gallery. I've never intentionally deceived anyone in this committee or otherwise, in any way, shape, or form—ever. Okay, maybe my ex-wife, but we won't talk about that. Anyway, that was a bit of a joke.
