Evidence of meeting #2 for Veterans Affairs in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was bloc.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Chairman, just for my clarification on this--and I apologize for being late--what we're voting on is what we were handed in the notice of motion. Am I correct?
3:50 p.m.
NDP
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
This is after the first round. Just listen, and put yourselves in my shoes for a second.
On the following rounds of questioning, five minutes per party beginning with the Liberals, the Conservatives, the Bloc Québécois, the Conservatives, the Liberals, the Conservatives and the Liberals; and in a third round the order would be the same as in the second round, with the NDP being able to ask questions at the end of the round....
You know, I feel like a little kid who was too small to play on the basketball team: “Well, you know, for short players or if someone is injured, we'll get the NDP to play.” That's unacceptable. No offence to you, Madame Hinton, but you say “Maybe the NDP will ask a question at the end of the third round, if there is time. Thank you very much for getting elected and for showing up.”
Think about that, Mr. Thibault. You can't do that. Very few committees in this House--if the clerk researches--have that type of format. It's just unacceptable.
You can't ignore the NDP in the second round. You can change it to go Liberals, Conservatives, Bloc, Conservatives, NDP, Conservatives. If you want to do that, I find that acceptable. But to ignore us in the second round and then say in the third round, “Well, ladies and gentlemen, here you are”, that's just unacceptable.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Anders
I appreciate the dilemma, Mr. Stoffer, but I think this is an arrangement with a lot of committees.
I think there was a Liberal, Mr. Thibault, and then Mrs. Hinton.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Chairman, if that's correct, then we can ask the clerk to bring examples of what other committees do, because that's not how our fisheries committee works, and when I was on the defence committee, it wasn't like that.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS
Mr. Chairman, just so Mr. Stoffer understands, as well as Monsieur Perron and Monsieur St. Denis, I don't disagree with any of the amendments these three people are suggesting, and I don't disagree with the point that Peter raises.
Next time we sit, we have a presentation. All I'm saying is that we've had a motion in due form put forward at the committee more than six or seven days ago. Everybody has had a chance to study it, to respond to it, to prepare alternate positions and put them to the chair with 48 hours' notice. We haven't seen those. So rather than today having a game of ping-pong and mishmash and negotiating in committee about how we come to a more reasonable situation, I'm suggesting that we vote on the motion. If it goes through, we task our chairman and our vice-chairs with studying this matter and coming with an alternate proposal to be put to the committee at the end of business at that meeting.
I'm sure they can come to a resolution. Every point that has been suggested is valid, but they've all been a little different. If the people who disagree and have other suggestions had presented other suggestions, we'd have something on paper to look at and maybe vote on, but we've only had one proposal put forward in bilingual form with 48 hours' notice.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Anders
Okay. I see Mrs. Hinton wants to speak and I see Mr. Perron.
I'm hoping somebody at some point will call the question.
Mrs. Hinton.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Betty Hinton Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
I'm listening very carefully to you, Peter. I didn't notice when you came in, so I'm not quite sure what part of the discussion you missed.
This is not a new creation. This motion that's coming forward is the standard one that was used in the committee the last time. The clerk confirmed that when he read it out.
I did give at least 10 days' notice. In future, if I or anybody else puts a motion forward, I would hope that if you have concerns about the motion, you'd come forward prior to the day of the meeting. You had a 10-day window to raise your concern and your objection.
This is just standard. I agree very much with Mr. Thibault, and I appreciate him seconding the motion. I'd like to see this pass so at least we have a format for when the minister comes. Then, if you want to change it or you want to do something different, I think this group is pretty easy to get along with. I'm sure we can accommodate.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Gilles-A. Perron Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
I totally agree with Betty and Robert. We could try and go with the existing formula, and then come up with a new one. As a cautionary move, I'd like to propose an amendment to the motion. I move that we agree to adopt this formula on a trial basis for the appearance of the Minister of Veterans Affairs, and that the steering committee undertake to propose other formulas for future meetings. I insist on getting this in writing so that we can get back to what we were're discussing this afternoon.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Anders
I think the door is always open, but I'm not opposed to that.
Mr. Shipley.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
Just for clarification, when you talk about seven minutes, is that for the question and the answer?
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
Well, at the start, it was for the question. I want to be clear, because when we came out of our other one, it was for the question and the answer, and that didn't always work.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Anders
Okay. I think at this stage we're going to vote on the subamendment.
On the subamendment, for which I don't have the exact text, of course.... We don't have the 48 hour' notice, but the understanding that it's open--
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Gilles-A. Perron Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
We'll go with this formula on a trial basis for the minister's appearance. Then, we'll consider your proposal, Mr. Chairman, along with your clerk and your research staff.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Anders
Hopefully, everybody else understands as well. All right.
(Subamendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Anders
There we go.
I didn't think it would take that long, but that's the way these things work. Oh, I'm sorry, it's not done. There's a second one to deal with, that's right.
Mrs. Hinton.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Betty Hinton Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Now I'm a little nervous. The first one took so long, and this is pretty standard as well. It reads:
I, Betty Hinton, member of Parliament for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, move that the following two motions be added to the routine motions of the standing committee on Tuesday, May 16, 2006:
1) That whenever the main estimates or the supplementary estimates are tabled in the House, the committee invite the minister and any relevant senior officials of the department to appear at a meeting of the committee, which is televised if possible;
2) That whenever a chapter of a report of the Auditor General refers to a subject under the mandate of the committee, the committee invite the Office of the Auditor General of Canada and any relevant senior officials of the department to appear at a meeting of the committee, which is televised if possible.