Debates of Dec. 6th, 2024

Northern Affairs

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, here is how a government question is asked.

Hunters and trappers in Nunavut rely on their boats to feed their families. Three years ago, the current government promised a small-craft harbour for Arctic Bay. Three years later, the government has not delivered. This harbour would allow safer hunting and help keep our communities safe from threats in the Arctic. I have fought for this project and the Liberal government is still ignoring my community.

With the government's new Arctic foreign policy released today, will the Liberals finally fund this important project?

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Madam Speaker, it is so refreshing today to hear an actual question presented to the government. I want to thank the member for doing so.

When it comes to small craft harbours, they are the lifeblood of every community in terms of economic development and in terms of social development. I want to learn more about the particular question at hand, and I am committed to meeting the member, as we all should, in a collegial way, in a clear way and in an inoffensive way, unlike we are hearing today.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order.

I ask the hon. member for South Shore—St. Margarets and the hon. parliamentary secretary to please behave.

The hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands.

Transport

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

Madam Speaker, as we see the days dwindling to when we can actually pass legislation, my constituents are particularly concerned with Bill C-33. It is on rail safety and management of marine issues around our ports. It was first introduced two ministers of transportation ago, more than two years ago, when the minister was the member for Mississauga—Erin Mills.

Can the government update us? We have finished clause-by-clause. We are waiting for report stage. When will this bill come back so that we can at least get it to the Senate, where we have a hope of not losing years' worth of work?

[Vance Badawey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Madam Speaker, actually, I agree with the member. We have been in the House here for over a month now, bogged down by the Conservatives with respect to their privilege motion. Once we can get by that, we can get back to the order of business here in the House, something that most, if not all, members are looking forward to.

École Polytechnique de Montréal

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Following discussions among representatives of all parties in the House, I understand that there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence.

I invite hon. members to rise and observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the tragic event that happened 35 years ago at École Polytechnique in Montreal.

[A moment of silence observed]

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Before I get to the points of order, I want to apologize to the hon. member for Miramichi—Grand Lake. I asked him to re-pose his question. The first time, I could not hear his question completely because of the fact that there was a lot of noise and I was also having a conversation with the Clerk, checking on something. I did offer him the opportunity to re-ask the question. The second time, he neglected to put the question and made a comment instead. I think it is all in the hype of what happens here in the House, and I do apologize for that.

I just want to say, when it comes to the questions and comments, it is really important to ensure that it does have to do with the administration of the government. It is incumbent upon all members to not make so much noise, so that we can hear everything that is being said.

I do apologize to the hon. member for Miramichi—Grand Lake.

Oral Questions

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am rising on a point of order coming out of question period.

We are continuing to see this trend of questions, or preambles, where 99% of the question is on a subject that is not related to government business, and then, finally, the end of the question somehow asks the government a question. However, the Speaker has made it clear, in the past, that the proper way in which a question needs to be asked is to, at the very least, start the question by talking about some form of government business and conclude the question in the same way.

I believe that the Speaker has set a precedent. Today, Madam Speaker, as you represent the Speaker's decisions moving forward, you indicated that you will remove questions from individuals and cut them off. I know that it can be challenging to hear what is going on with some of the noise in here, but I think it is incumbent upon the Speaker to listen to what is going on and stop a question if it is clear that the content of the question has nothing to do with government business.

Government business is what the government is doing. Asking the government to call an election is not government business. I would ask, Madam Speaker, even if you were somehow to accept the fact that asking the government to call an election is government business, when 99% of the question leading up to it has nothing to do with the government but instead is asking questions of the opposition parties, you have to do something in order to get the House back in order, which might be stopping the question and it might be removing future questions.

In conclusion, the question that the Conservatives keep asking is about something that is going to happen on Monday. It is very important to recognize, and I think it is fair to say, that throughout question period on Monday, the same questions are going to be answered because it is after question period. Please give this consideration over the weekend, so that you can handle it appropriately on Monday.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

Madam Speaker, that is the height of hypocrisy. The hon. member is complaining about those types of questions when, as a matter of fact, the member for Saint John—Rothesay actually asked the majority of his question about the leader of the official opposition, but then had a very small tie-back to the administration of government in the very last comments.

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

I am being heckled by the member now recanting his initial comments.

Madam Speaker, secondly, in terms of a question about calling an election, there is only one group of people in the House who arbitrarily can decide on the timing of an election. It is the government. It is the administration. It is an action of the administration of government to determine if it will ask the Governor General for an election.

The House collectively can make a determination by forcing the government to go to an election, but the Prime Minister has the capacity and the prerogative to go to the Governor General and call an election, and that is what we are calling for.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Madam Speaker, I am raising a point of order with regard to the proceedings of the Standing Committee on Health back in October. As the House records will show, on October 3, 10 and 24, there were three meetings at that standing committee that were dealing with the subject matter of Bill C-277, an act to establish a national strategy on brain injuries. That bill was referred to the committee at second reading on June 12, and it was reported back to the House on October 28, again with unanimous support.

Because of those proceedings, I would ask for unanimous consent for the following motion that, notwithstanding any standing order—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I am sorry, but I am already hearing “no”. There is no consent.

On a point of order, the hon. member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Madam Speaker, on this matter of ruling questions out of order because they are not to do with government business, which you did during question period, there was one particular instance where you ruled one of our questions out of order, but then recognized the government minister to respond to a question that you had ruled out of order.

I question this practice, and I would like you to explain why it is appropriate to allow a government minister to respond to a question that you had actually ruled is not in order.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I want to see if I have any other points of order. Again, we will have one more on this specific issue, and then we can get to other points of order after.

Is the hon. member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford's point on this specific issue as well? His previous one was not.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Madam Speaker, on the previous one, I just need some clarification from the Chair because, as I was sitting down, I missed something. Was it the Conservatives who said no to that unanimous consent for the brain injury community? I think they would really want to know.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

There are no points of clarification on that point of order.

The hon. member for Kelowna—Lake Country.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Speaker, to add to the point of order about questions during question period, I think it would be a really challenging precedent to not allow members to use whatever preamble they would to get to their question. The question is at the very end and to cut off members midway really impedes on the member's even being able to get to their question. Therefore, I do not think that is the way to go.

I know we have had NDP members who have asked many questions related to provincial premiers. We have seen a lot of that in the House. I think going this way in this manner would create a lot of difficulty. I just want you to consider that members should be allowed to freely state what is important to them and what they are hearing from their constituents and then get to the question. If a member of the government stands up to answer a question, that is their prerogative if they choose to answer it, whether it is business of the House or not. I would like you to consider that.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Is the hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby rising on the same point of order?

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Madam Speaker, yes, I am.

As you know, the ruling was very clear from the former Speaker, the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle. During the Harper regime, every single one of those Conservative questions would have been ruled out of order. In fact, after two sentences, those Conservative members would have been asked to sit down. These are previous rulings. You have been much more flexible in giving them a second chance. The reality is that previous Speaker's rulings, including the Conservative—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order. I cannot hear the point of order, because some members who had the opportunity to rise on the point of order are being a little bit unruly right now. I would just ask members to please wait if they wish to add anything.

The hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Madam Speaker, the jurisprudence is very clear: You have the right and the tools to cut this mockery of question period off immediately. Not a single one of the Conservative questions would have stood.

Now I want to reference the Standing Orders because they are extremely important. Numerous standing orders were violated during question period by Conservative members of Parliament. I would ask you, Madam Speaker, to ask the Conservative whip to, number one, ask his members to actually read the Standing Orders, because it is an important part of their work, and to ensure that when members from the Conservative Party come to question period, they actually understand the rules of order and will respect the rules of Parliament and stop making a mockery of the House of Commons.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Timmins—James Bay also has a point of order.