Debates of Dec. 9th, 1997

Revocation Of Mandate Of Inquiry Commission

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Order, please. It being 5.30 o'clock the House will resume the sitting and recognize the House leader of the official opposition on a point of order.

Points Of Order

[Randy White, Reform, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask that you consider taking the vote on the amendment to the concurrence motion on the 13th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs in the same way as the House takes votes in Private Members' Business.

While votes on committee reports are normally taken by party, this report and the amendment contain matters of such importance to private members that the vote should not be taken by party.

Private members will never make any headway in the House if we allow this vote to be subject to the determination of the government whip. He represents the cabinet and we all know that the cabinet is not very supportive of increasing the influence of private members in the House.

Prior to taking the vote tonight I ask again that it be taken in the way that we normally do in the House in Private Members' Business.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Just so that the Chair is clear, the House leader of the official opposition has asked that the vote to be taken on the amendment to the concurrence motion be taken in the same manner as a vote in Private Members' Business. Is the Chair correct?

[Randy White, Reform, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, you are well trained in the Chair's duties. You are absolutely correct.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

The House has heard the motion of the House leader of the official opposition. Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

There is not consent.

The House resumed from December 5 consideration of the motion and of the amendment.

Procedure And House Affairs

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

It being 5.33 p.m. the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the amendment to Government Business No. 10.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the amendment, which was negatived on the following division:)

Division No. 65

[The Deputy Speaker]

I declare the amendment lost.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order to seek the unanimous consent of the House to proceed to a vote on the main motion of the member for Elk Island. The motion is that the 13th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be now concurred in.

That report contains some positive changes to the way that Private Members' Business operates which many members in this House are anxiously awaiting to be adopted. If we do not move forward with a vote on this matter tonight, then the report will become part of Government Orders which would be wrong since it deals with Private Members' Business.

I would ask for the unanimous consent of the House to move that the 13th report of the procedure and House affairs committee be now concurred in.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Does the House give its consent to proceed with putting the question on the main motion at this time?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Deputy Speaker]

There is not unanimous consent.

The next recorded division is on the motion at the third reading stage of Bill C-9.

The House resumed from December 5 consideration of the motion that Bill C-9, an act for making the system of Canadian ports competitive, efficient and commercially oriented, providing for the establishing of port authorities and the divesting of certain harbours and ports, for the commercialization of the St. Lawrence Seaway and ferry services and other matters related to maritime trade and transport and amending the Pilotage Act and amending and repealing other acts as a consequence, be read the third time and passed.

Canada Marine Act

[Bob Kilger, Liberal, Stormont—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House would agree, I would propose that you seek unanimous consent for the following. Members who voted on the previous motion with the exception of the member for Mississauga West who left the Chamber but I also request that you add the members for Mississauga East, Mississauga South, Sarnia—Lambton, Huron—Bruce and Kitchener—Waterloo so that members who voted on the previous motion be recorded as having voted on the motion now before the House with Liberal members voting yea.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Does the House give unanimous consent to proceed in the way suggested by the chief government whip?

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I do not have anybody to add. The Reform Party will be voting yes on this motion.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the members of the Bloc Quebecois are opposed to this motion.

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, NDP members present vote no on this motion.

[André Harvey, Progressive Conservative, Chicoutimi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the members of our party will vote in favour of this motion.

[John Nunziata, Independent, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of Christmas, I will be supporting the government on this measure.

[Greg Thompson, Progressive Conservative, Charlotte, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I will be voting against the government on this vote.