House of Commons Hansard #95 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.

Topics

The House resumed from May 9 consideration of the motion and of the amendment.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:15 p.m.

The Speaker

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the amendment to the motion of concurrence to the first report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts in the name of the hon. member for Edmonton--St. Albert.

The question is on the amendment.

(The House divided on the amendment which was agreed to on the following division:)

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:25 p.m.

The Speaker

I declare the amendment carried.

The next question is on the main motion, as amended. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:25 p.m.

Liberal

Karen Redman Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if you could seek unanimous consent to apply this vote so that members present in the chamber having voted on the previous question be deemed as voting on this question, with all Liberals in the House voting no.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:25 p.m.

The Speaker

I sense there is no consent to apply the vote. All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:25 p.m.

The Speaker

All those opposed will please say nay.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:25 p.m.

The Speaker

In my opinion the nays have it.

And more than five members having risen:

(The House divided on the motion which was agreed to on the following division:)

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:35 p.m.

The Speaker

I declare the motion carried.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:35 p.m.

Conservative

Stephen Harper Conservative Calgary Southwest, AB

Mr. Speaker, we have just voted on a motion that was agreed to on a clear majority, a motion which calls upon the government to resign.

By all of the established conventions of our democratic system, when the government faces a clear vote on such a question, it is required to do at least one of three things: it is required to fulfill the terms of the motion and resign; to seek a dissolution; or at the earliest moment, to ensure that it indeed has the confidence of this chamber, which is the only democratic mandate this government has to spend our public money.

Since I understand that the Prime Minister, in his desire to cling to power at all costs, has refused to do--

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. Leader of the Opposition is trying to raise a point of order. I know it is going slowly because there is a lot of noise, but perhaps he could come to the point of the point of order quickly because we need to know what the point of order is.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

Conservative

Stephen Harper Conservative Calgary Southwest, AB

Mr. Speaker, since the government has refused to follow either of the first two courses of action, I would challenge the Prime Minister, if he believes he has the constitutional authority to govern, to rise in this place and call for a vote of confidence, if he believes he has it from this House.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

The Speaker

A challenge to the Prime Minister does not a point of order make, but perhaps the government House leader is rising to respond to this point of order?

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

Tony Valeri Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON

Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond and ensure that any Canadian who is actually watching the proceeding clearly understands that the leader of the official opposition has no knowledge of what in fact the motion actually said that he put forward.

It is an instruction to a committee. That instruction to the committee and the issue of it not being confidence is supported by Marleau and Montpetit and many other experts in procedure and constitutional affairs.

I would suggest that the leader of the official opposition leave as he is and we will continue to govern on behalf of Canadians.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

The Speaker

The leader of the Bloc Québécois now has a comment to make on the point of order.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to point out that—

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier, QC

If the people across the way could just stop yelling.

I would just like to point out that the vote by each member of the Bloc Québécois constitutes a vote of non-confidence in the Liberal government, which no longer has the necessary moral authority to govern and which is headed by a prime minister who is discredited more every day in this House, as well as by the revelations coming out of the Gomery inquiry.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

The Speaker

Obviously there are no points of order in this. The leader of the Bloc Québécois has stated his opinion. We can therefore continue with other House business.

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Respectfully, Mr. Speaker, you determined that the last vote was carried. It was on a motion that the matter be referred back to committee. You did not say that. Is it in fact the instruction of this House that this matter now be referred back to committee?

Committees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

The Speaker

Yes, it is.

It being 6.45 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper.