In my opinion the yeas have it.
And five or more members having risen:
House of Commons Hansard #274 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was agreed.
House of Commons Hansard #274 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was agreed.
Concurrence in Vote 20—Department of TransportGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
In my opinion the yeas have it.
And five or more members having risen:
Concurrence in Vote 1—Department of Veterans AffairsGovernment Orders
Kings—Hants Nova Scotia
Liberal
Scott Brison LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board
moved:
That Vote 1, in the amount of $259,011,143, under Department of Veterans Affairs—Operating expenditures, in the Interim Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, be concurred in.
Concurrence in Vote 1—Department of Veterans AffairsGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
The question is on Motion No. 99. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
Concurrence in Vote 1—Department of Veterans AffairsGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Agreed.
No.
Concurrence in Vote 1—Department of Veterans AffairsGovernment Orders
Concurrence in Vote 1—Department of Veterans AffairsGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Yea.
Concurrence in Vote 1—Department of Veterans AffairsGovernment Orders
Concurrence in Vote 1—Department of Veterans AffairsGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Nay.
Concurrence in Vote 1—Department of Veterans AffairsGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
In my opinion the yeas have it.
And five or more members having risen:
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
I would like to return to a point of order raised earlier today by the member for Barrie—Innisfil. He questioned the validity of the vote on Motion No. 92, given that the seconder, the Minister of Finance, had left the chamber during the putting of the question by the Chair. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons suggested that the Minister of Canadian Heritage, who was present for the entirety of the putting of the question, could simply be replaced as the seconder.
The situation is similar to one in December 2012, when it was noticed the next sitting day after the taking of a vote that the minister moving the motion was not present as indicated when the Speaker put the question on a government bill to the House. The Speaker's ruling on December 5, 2012, included, as found on page 12908 of Debates, the following:
This kind of occurrence is, in my view, a minor oversight. It is our practice to consider that this progress of government bills represent the will of the cabinet.
That being the case for the mover of the bill, I am satisfied that it also holds for the case of a seconder. As has been pointed out, other government ministers were present for the duration of the putting of the question and as such, I am satisfied that the motion was properly before the House and the results of the vote are valid.
On a point of order, the hon. opposition House leader.
Conservative
Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, I would like to give my intentions for the remaining notices of opposition for the interim estimates.
Before I do, I want to express my sincere appreciation to all of you who have sat in the chair over the last many hours. I would like to especially express my thanks to those who have been at the table, those who have been calling the votes hour after hour, each and every one of the pages, as well as the security personnel, the restaurant staff, and others for their efforts to facilitate this extended sitting of the House.
I would like to remind the Liberal members that they came to power on a promise to be transparent with Canadians and to govern with respect for Parliament. Today they had a chance to make good on that promise. However, they failed to do so.
All we have been asking is that the government give the same briefing to members of Parliament as it gave to the media regarding the Atwal affair. The message to the members of the Liberal backbench has been clear. The Prime Minister, who has not shared in any of their pain overnight, clearly expects that they will do anything to protect him, his staff, and their reckless decision.
Mr. Speaker, I note that the date on the table is still Thursday, March 22. I believe you would agree with me that this has been a very long day. Canadians can be assured that, while Thursday is coming to a close, the Conservatives will continue to fight on their behalf for the answers they deserve.
Therefore, I think if you seek it you will find unanimous consent for the following motion.
I move:
That motions to concur in all opposed items listed on the notice paper under interim estimates be deemed adopted on division, and that the motion to concur in the unopposed votes be deemed adopted on division.
That Bill C-73, An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, be deemed introduced and read a first time, deemed read a second time, deemed referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered by the committee of the whole and reported back to the House without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage, deemed read a third time and passed on division.
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
(Motion agreed to)
(Motion to concur in the interim estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, deemed agreed to on division)
(Bill C-73 deemed introduced and read a first time, read a second time, referred to committee of the whole, considered by committee of the whole, reported to the House without amendment, concurred in at report stage, read a third time and passed on division)
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
I wish to inform the House that, because it is getting late, the period provided for private members' business is cancelled. The order is therefore deferred to a future sitting.
A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.
Christine Moore NDP Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to follow up on the question that I asked about veterans.
Christine Moore NDP Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Mr. Speaker, could you call for order, please. I cannot even hear myself speak.
VeteransAdjournment Motion
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
Order, please. I would remind members that a member is speaking.
The hon. member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue may continue.
Christine Moore NDP Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Mr. Speaker, I asked a question about veterans because I wanted to find out whether the Prime Minister and the Liberal cabinet intend to keep the election promise they made to restore lifelong pensions. Unfortunately, at the time, all they gave me was another general answer. They said that more details would follow.
They have given us those details, but unfortunately, veterans will have to wait until April 1, 2019, to get what they were promised during the election campaign. That seems like a long time to me. I would like to remind the parliamentary secretary that the election campaign took place in 2015. The Liberals will not fulfill their promise until 2019 and even then there will be a choice to make. The Liberals seem to want to save money at the expense of veterans by failing to implement the promised measure.
I think that the government's attitude toward this situation is totally unacceptable. During their careers, veterans became accustomed to discipline and structure, and when they are faced with such an unbelievable amount of government red tape, they always get discouraged. It saddens me that veterans always have to lug around three or four binders full of information about their case. They always have to fight to have their sacrifices recognized, even though they gave up dozens of years of their lives to serve our country. I will never understand this government's attitude.
It is high time the government kept its promises and perhaps it could do better than waiting until a year from now do to so. It is time to do some housecleaning. We need to stop forcing veterans to fight against their own government and against the country that they served with a pride and willingness rarely seen in other occupations. The government is making them wait and is not addressing the real problem, which is the endless red tape at the Department of Veterans Affairs. These men and women deserve better.
I would therefore like the parliamentary secretary to show that she is prepared to find solutions so that veterans are never again kept waiting and are shown more respect. The government has to stop keeping veterans waiting because many of them are suffering.