Transport Committee on Oct. 25th, 2016

[The Chair (Hon. Judy A. Sgro (Humber River—Black Creek, Lib.)), Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I call to order the meeting of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), this is a study of the Navigation Protection Act.

For witnesses today, we have David Marshall, executive director of the Fraser Basin Council. Welcome, Mr. Marshall, and thank you very much for coming. We look forward to your testimony about a very important act that we are looking at to see if it's good enough or if could we make it better. That's what the committee is looking at today and it's what the minister is looking at.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Yes, Mr. Berthold.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, at our last meeting, I gave notice of the following motion:

Whereas the minister of Transport has already decided the changes to be made to the Navigation Protection Act and following the hearing of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association and the Canadian Construction Association. I ask that the Committee suspend the study until the minister of Transport submits his own modifications to the Navigation Protection Act to this Committee.

Madam Chair, my hope is that the committee will discuss the motion this morning, before hearing from the witnesses.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Berthold, as you know, our meeting is only an hour, rather than two hours, given the fact that there have been votes called. We only have a short hour with our guest, who has come a long way to give us testimony. I realized you would ask it, and we're obligated if you don't want to do otherwise, but would you consider delaying it until the next meeting?

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

I would rather do it this morning, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

All right.

Are you speaking to the motion, Mr. Badawey?

[Vance Badawey, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

No, thank you, Madam Chair.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, if I may, I will speak to the motion, after which we can proceed with the vote.

I have asked the committee to vote on my motion. If the committee wishes to put the question on the motion right away and put an end to the work, I agree. Otherwise, I will speak to the motion and we can debate it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

You just spoke to it, Mr. Berthold, and asked to vote on it. I concluded that you were complete on your comments.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

No. I had not finished, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I'm going to ask for the clerk to verify.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Andrew Bartholomew Chaplin]

He's in fact moving it. You gave him the floor, presumably on a point of order.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Yes, not on the motion, but on a point of order.

[The Clerk]

Generally, you can't move a motion on a point of order. Once he's given the floor, he can.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Badawey.

[Vance Badawey, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

I'd like to move to adjourn debate please.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

We have before us a request from Mr. Berthold to vote on his motion, and we have Mr. Badawey who is wanting to speak to it.

[Vance Badawey, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

Thank you. As I mentioned earlier, I am proposing that we put a motion forward to end debate. This is, quite frankly, a non-debatable motion, and I would like the chair to have it recognized.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

The motion is duly before us. Mr. Berthold moved it, as is his right. He gave us 48 hours' notice. I'm going to suggest, unless there's further discussion, that those who are in favour of Mr. Berthold's motion raise their hands.

The motion fails. It's disposed of.

(Motion negatived)

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, I think Mr. Badawey has also moved a motion to get back to the agenda.

You just put a motion.

[Vance Badawey, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, Luc.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

So are you withdrawing your...?

[Vance Badawey, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

Well, it's too late. It's a redundant motion now. The motion has been dealt with.

I was trying to get the motion for discussion at the next meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

All right. We will continue on with our meeting at this point, if everyone is ready to give Mr. Marshall the floor.

My apologies for the delay, Mr. Marshall.

Please, the floor is yours.