Debates of June 13th, 2012

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

The three votes in question will be disallowed.

Does the Prime Minister wish to confirm?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Calgary Southwest, AB]

Excuse me, Mr. Speaker. I was here the entire time and I can inform the leader of the Green Party that I am here now.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I think you confirmed what we all saw. The right hon. Prime Minister entered once the vote had begun and did not attempt to vote and he did not stand to vote. I think it was just a clerical error. I certainly notice when he enters a room. The force of his personality is—

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, It happens that the Prime Minister sits right in front of me. He was one of the people who yelled no when we were doing the vote. He has been in the whole vote.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, even if it is 8:30 in the morning, members have to stand to vote. The Prime Minister did not stand.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Order, please. As members will know, it is common practice of the House to accept what a member says in this regard. The Prime Minister says that he was here.

What I did see was that when I called all those opposed, the Prime Minister did stand at that point, but was not recognized by the vote caller. The vote caller began with the Minister of State for Transport and by the time the line was at that point, the Prime Minister had sat down.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have to admit that I am a little confused. I thought you had said that you had seen the Prime Minister arrive.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Order, please. It is the practice of the House that when a member stands to say that he or she was here or not here, if there is any uncertainty, then the benefit of the doubt is given to that member.

On that basis, the Prime Minister's vote will count. The vote of the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance will not count.

The next question is on Motion No. 316. A vote on this motion also applies to Motion Nos. 317 to 319.

(The House divided on Motion No. 316, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #334

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

I declare Motion No. 316 defeated. I therefore declare Motions Nos. 317 to 319 defeated.

The next question is on Motion No. 321. A vote on this motion also applies to Motions Nos. 322 to 327. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

(The House divided on Motion No. 321, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #335

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

I declare Motion No. 321 defeated.

[Philip Toone, NDP, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask you to verify whether the members for Langley and Calgary Centre-North were present at the start of the vote.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I was here for the vote; I was here before the vote; I was here when you called the vote. Maybe the member was sleeping when I was here.

[Philip Toone, NDP, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are bound by the Standing Orders. When you rose, Mr. Speaker, the member for Langley was not in the House.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, as a matter of fact, we saw this member come in late. If you make a decision to take his word, it will be totally wrong, because he came in late.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Perhaps I will remind all hon. members of the rule, that in order to be eligible to vote, a member must be in his or her seat when the chair puts the question to the House, and through the entire process of voting up until the result is announced.

Having said that, the chair did not see whether the hon. member for Langley was or was not in his seat, and as was ruled earlier, in these cases the chair accepts the statement of the hon. member in question.

The hon. member for Sault Ste. Marie is also rising on a point of order?

[Bryan Hayes, Conservative, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to ensure that my vote was recognized. I was referred to by the name of the member for Don Valley East. My name was not mentioned.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I realize that the hours have been many and that it is a difficult challenge for you to be aware of all members as they are coming and going. A number of our members did watch members come in after the vote started, but as we move forward we will of course take your ruling now to accept their votes because this is your decision.

However, between you and the table, as we go through the next number of hours I would suggest that it is vigilance once the vote has been called that removes the discretion involved and allows us to have a conversation about who is actually in the House. Otherwise, we will have these constant arguments among members that are unfruitful to the process of voting.