Transport Committee on Nov. 24th, 2020

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the time of the witnesses we've heard from today.

Mr. Chair, I'd like to address the motion that I raised previously. I understand your desire for it to stand as a notice of motion, but it was really offered as a motion that I hoped we could act on today.

I recognize that I'm new to this role; however, my read of the routine motions and our rules of procedure would indicate that it is in order to have a motion related to the study at hand.

I would ask that we be allowed, as a committee, to vote on this motion today. I believe, given the testimony we heard from the families, that this is of utmost importance. It needs to be dealt with in a timely way. I would ask, Mr. Chair, that my motion be allowed to stand as a motion and that we move swiftly to a vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Thank you, Mr. Bachrach.

The reason for my judgment at the time was to not take away time from the important witnesses who took their time to come out today to give us their testimony—both the families of the victims, as well as the four witnesses that we have now. I'll stand by that.

Frankly, between now and Thursday.... I don't see any reason not to allow it to go until Thursday to raise the motion and to deal with it then versus today. It's two days away. You'll still get the expediency that you're desiring. Once again, the call that I made was simply with all due respect to the witnesses that we invited today.

That notice of motion, I believe, can be brought Thursday. I apologize for being repetitive, but—

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I appreciate that, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

If we could bring it on Thursday, Mr. Bachrach, that would then give us the time to get to both the witnesses and the questioners. I allowed the meeting to go to 5:43 today because we had some difficulties and technical issues. Also, of course, we had to wait for some members to show up.

Frankly, the meeting is now at the point of adjournment. I was trying to fit you in for that last two and a half minutes, but that time has elapsed.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Chair, can you rule on it formally as a point of order that my motion is out of order, as per the routine motions and our rules of procedure?

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

You can. I won't say your motion is out of order, because it can be in order. Although it's not directly involved in the study we're dealing with, it is in line with the discussion, so I'm not going to rule it out of order. It's more that I'm asking for it to be placed on Thursday's agenda so that we can get through the time we got through today, and we did. We got through the time, and now we're past time.

It's not something we can bring on the floor right now because the meeting is at the point of adjournment. What I would ask, Mr. Bachrach, is simply that we bring it up on Thursday, and we can deal with it on Thursday.

With that, members, I will adjourn the meeting.