House of Commons Hansard #393 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was justice.
Interim EstimatesGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
We are starting to get into debate. Order.
We are in the process of leaving it open to all members who feel they were not here when I started reading the question to stand up and honourably say that they were not here.
The hon. Minister of National Defence.
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
Mr. Speaker, I came in at the time that the point of order was being read, so I will take my vote out.
Having said that, since we started on this marathon voting, I have been outside of the chamber for approximately two hours. It is difficult to hear even when one is sitting here, so that all of those points of order matter. However, I will take my vote out.
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Minister of National Defence for doing the right thing because he was not in here.
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
I have the floor, and I cannot even hear myself.
Over my 15 years in this place, twice I walked in, in the middle of a vote and voted, knowing full well that I would have to own up to it, which I did. My parents brought me up telling me that, if people cheat at cards or whatever, they are only hurting themselves.
We have got the flavour of the day, being the Attorney General. We have the Minister of Public Safety, and a gentleman over there in a powder blue shirt has no tie—
Interim EstimatesGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
We are getting into debate now. We are going to stop and move on to the next question.
Concurrence in Vote 1—National Film BoardInterim EstimatesGovernment Orders
Vancouver Quadra B.C.
Liberal
Joyce Murray LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board
moved:
That Vote 1, in the amount of $17,092,696, under National Film Board — Program expenditures, in the Interim Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020, be concurred in.
Concurrence in Vote 1—National Film BoardInterim EstimatesGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
The question is on Motion No. 127. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
Concurrence in Vote 1—National Film BoardInterim EstimatesGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Agreed.
No.
Concurrence in Vote 1—National Film BoardInterim EstimatesGovernment Orders
Concurrence in Vote 1—National Film BoardInterim EstimatesGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Yea.
Concurrence in Vote 1—National Film BoardInterim EstimatesGovernment Orders
Concurrence in Vote 1—National Film BoardInterim EstimatesGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Nay.
Concurrence in Vote 1—National Film BoardInterim EstimatesGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
In my opinion the yeas have it.
And five or more members having risen:
Interim EstimatesGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
I declare Motion No. 127 carried.
The hon. member for Barrie—Innisfil asked for the count on the vote prior to this one. The Clerk has advised me that the yeas were 95 and the nays were 62, which means it was carried.
There is a point of order by the hon. member for Hamilton Mountain and then the member for Perth—Wellington.
Scott Duvall NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, that was exactly the question I was going to ask.
John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise pursuant to Standing Order 18, which provides that “No Member may reflect upon any vote of the House, except for the purpose of moving that such vote be rescinded”, which is what I am doing. I will provide the following evidence.
During the previous vote, the following members entered the chamber after the vote began to be read. Some voted and some did not. The members were those for Northumberland—Peterborough South, Saint-Jean, Newmarket—Aurora andVimy.
Interim EstimatesGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
Order.
I would remind the hon. member for Perth—Wellington that he cannot move a motion on a point of order, and I believe he was moving on a point of order. I will let him respond to that.
John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
Mr. Speaker, I think it remains that there are members of the House who did, in fact, enter after the vote had been read the first time. I did read some of those names. Obviously, members opposite have to reflect on that and use their honour to reflect that.
That being said, there were 52 Liberal members who entered the chamber after that vote was read.
Erin O'Toole Conservative Durham, ON
Mr. Speaker, this is with respect to your ruling in relation to individual members exercising their own honour and decision-making related to whether they were present in accordance with the rules for the previous vote.
I would note to the House that, in 1968, the Pearson government was defeated in a non-confidence vote, but the Stanfield opposition allowed a second vote because they had confidence in the government at that time. However, we have been here for over 24 hours expressing the fact that the opposition does not have confidence in the Prime Minister or in the government. We have given them many off-ramps for compromise, but they know that each and every vote was a vote of confidence in the government, and 52 members were not in the House for that vote, which would have had the government defeated.
I am asking you, Mr. Speaker, to suspend the House to allow more Liberal MPs to decide whether they are going to follow the example of the hon. Minister of Public Safety, who did not vote in accordance with your direction, because there will be tape pulled. The suspension will give them time to review the tape themselves. If not, with the environment of no confidence, I will ask that each of those members, once the tape is reviewed, be held in contempt of Parliament for disobeying your rule and your provision to allow them to exercise their honour.
This is not 1968. We do not have confidence in the government. Those members need to decide whether they are going to follow the lead of the hon. Minister of Public Safety or the lead of the PMO.
Interim EstimatesGovernment Orders
Pierre-Luc Dusseault NDP Sherbrooke, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would like you to clarify a rule.
There seems to be a double standard when it comes to vote no. 126. You allowed the Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons to rise on a point of order after you began reading the motion.
During reading of Motion No. 127, I rose because there was a lot of noise and I could not hear. You did not allow any points of order.
I would like a clarification. Are we allowed to rise on a point of order once you have started reading the motion? If not, why did you allow the hon. member for Winnipeg North to rise on a point of order after you started reading the motion on vote no. 126?
Interim EstimatesGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker Anthony Rota
Normally, once the question has been asked, a point of order cannot be raised. That has happened in the past 24 hours, but it is an unusual situation, and of course we all make mistakes. We had stopped because there was a problem with the audio, not because there was a point of order. That said, normally, once the question has been asked, a point of order cannot be raised.