Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order with respect to Motion No. 3. The member for Burnaby—Douglas moved the same motion at committee as a subamendment and the committee voted it down during the committee proceedings. Yet, here we are at report stage of Bill C-23 and the same motion is before the entire House. Marleau and Montpetit at page 668 reads:
A motion previously defeated in committee will only be selected if the Speaker judges it to be of such significance as to warrant a further consideration at report stage.
Marleau and Montpetit does not differentiate between amendments and subamendments. The important point is that it addresses the fact that any motion that is previously defeated in committee cannot be introduced as a report stage amendment. Only in an extraordinary situation should a motion defeated at committee be allowed to be moved at report stage. Beauchesne's describes this exception to the rule on page 212 as “special circumstances”.
There does not seem to be anything special or extraordinary about the procedure followed at committee or on Motion No. 3 itself. Motion No. 3 is no more or less significant than any other motion proposed at committee and amended or defeated at that time. It seems to me that Motion No. 3 should be ruled out of order in keeping with both Beauchesne's and Marleau and Montpetit. I ask you, Madam Speaker, to explain why Motion No. 3 is before the House today.