Evidence of meeting #32 for Veterans Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Sorry, Mr. Chair, but could you please repeat what the member just said?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Mr. Desilets, Mr. Richards was saying that he thought you were withdrawing your amendment and proposing a new one to change the deadline from “30 days” to “45 days”.
Could you please clarify what you're proposing?
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Do we need unanimous consent from committee members to withdraw my first amendment?
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Unfortunately, my understanding is that we don't have it.
Liberal
Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE
You don't have unanimous consent from the committee to withdraw your amendment, Mr. Desilets.
Liberal
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Can we call the vote, then? If it's not unanimous, let's just get 'er done.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
On a point of order, Chair, just so I'm clear, Mr. Desilets has indicated he would like to withdraw his previous amendment, so he could make the new one of just the 45-day portion, which seemed to have some support. He indicated that he understood there was a need for unanimous consent.
Did you ask for unanimous consent, then, to do that, and did we receive it?
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
I misunderstood. I thought you were moving to the vote there.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
What I understand is that we have an amendment from Mr. Desilets. He wanted to remove two paragraphs and the line on the first one. Mr. Desilets would like to withdraw this amendment.
I need unanimous consent from the committee members to do that.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
I don't have unanimous consent on that.
Mr. Desilets, we have to debate your amendment as it is and go to—
Yes, we have Mr. Richards.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
On a point of order, I would just to get some advice from our clerks on this. It seems as though.... I think 30 days would be reasonable, and I think it remains reasonable, but there does seem to be some support for the 45-day portion.
However, the last two points are fairly important, and I think they need to remain. It seems as though there has been some comfort provided to members of the committee who had some concern about it, namely Mr. Desilets.
Now we're put in a position by a government member's choosing not to provide unanimous consent for Mr. Desilets to remove his previous amendment and to move the new one to allow us to have the 45-day time frame. We're put in an awkward position now, because people want to support 45 days, but they would have to support removing the two bullets, which I think are important.
Can I ask the advice of the clerk on this? Is there a way, in a subamendment, whereby one could move to keep the last two bullet points so that the rest of his amendment could be voted on without having to take out something we don't want to take out?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Let me explain it to you.
We don't have unanimous consent to withdraw this amendment, so now we're going to vote on the amendment. If it doesn't pass, then we're going to go back to the motion, but anyone can present a new amendment on the motion itself.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
To be clear, then, if any committee members want to keep the last two bullet points, we should defeat the amendment.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
Mr. Chair, I'm a little perplexed, because Ms. Blaney called for the vote. Mr. Richards....
Excuse me, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Give me just one second. I'd like to finish with the clerk, and then I'll come back to you.
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
I believe I had a point of order. I was the first one to speak—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
I know.
After discussing it with the clerk, I'll explain what's happening. If Mr. Desilets's amendment is defeated, it won't be possible to move a similar amendment, specifically one that seeks to change the deadline to 45 days or remove the last two paragraphs.
Therefore, the best solution is to suggest that Mr. Desilets split his amendment in two. First, the committee would vote on the 45‑day deadline, either for or against. Then, the committee would vote on removing the last two paragraphs. That way, we could keep going.
I see that committee members are talking and a consensus seems to be emerging. We have to follow the rules, so the best option would be to have Mr. Desilets split his amendment in two. That means two votes, one on the 45 days, and the other on the last two paragraphs.
You have a point of order, Mr. Samson.