I want to point out the rules governing decorum in the House during a vote, and I quote Standing Order 16(1), “When the Speaker is putting a question, no Member shall enter, walk out of or across the House, or make any noise or disturbance”.
I have already said all this to all the hon. members. Perhaps the next time a question is put, everyone will respect this rule in order to ensure there is silence in the House during a vote. That was not the case today.
I will also cite page 493 of Marleau and Montpetit to reinforce the message. It says:
When Members have been called in for a division, no further debate is permitted. From the time the Speaker begins to put the question until the results of the vote are announced, Members are not to enter, leave or cross the House, or make any noise or disturbance.
Members must be in their assigned seat in the Chamber and have heard the motion read in order for their votes to be recorded. Any Member entering the Chamber while the question is being put or after it has been put cannot have his or her vote counted. Members must remain seated until the result is announced by the Clerk. Members' votes have been questioned because they left the Chamber immediately after voting and before the results of the vote were announced, or because they did not remain seated throughout the process. However, if a Member's presence is disputed and the Member in question asserts that he or she was present when the motion was read, convention holds that the House accepts the Member's word.
If the hon. minister indicated that he was here when the question was put, and heard it, we will take it that his vote counts and at the moment with respect to the two--
Two other ministers were mentioned by—