Pablo Rodriguez

[Recall of the House of Commons, March 24th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that you suspend until later today, to the call of the Chair, after consultation with the House leaders.

[Business of the House, March 13th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I rise in the House today in extraordinary circumstances.

I would like to sincerely and warmly thank all the parties in the House for working with us at such an important time.

I can assure Canadians that the priority of the government and all members of the House is to ensure the health and safety of every Canadian. That is why we are moving the following motion:

That, notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House, following the adoption of this order, the House shall stand adjourned until Monday, April 20, 2020, provided that:

(a) the House shall be deemed to have adjourned pursuant to Standing Order 28;

(b) for the supply period ending on March 26, 2020, the eighth allotted day shall be the final allotted day;

(c) the order for the deferred recorded division on the opposition motion standing in the name of the member for Vancouver Kingsway, considered on March 12, 2020, be discharged and the motion be deemed adopted on division;

(d) the motions to concur in Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2020, and interim supply for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2021, be deemed adopted on division and the appropriation bills based thereon be deemed to have been introduced and read a first time, deemed read a second time and referred to a committee of the whole on division, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage on division, deemed read a third time and passed on division;

(e) there shall be 10 allotted days in the supply period ending on June 23, 2020;

(f) a bill in the name of the Minister of Finance, entitled An Act to amend the Financial Administration Act (special warrant), be deemed to have been introduced and read a first time, deemed read a second time and referred to a committee of the whole on division, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage on division, deemed read a third time and passed on division;

(g) currently scheduled committee meetings shall be cancelled;

(h) the order of the day designated for Monday, March 30, 2020, for the consideration of the budget presentation, shall be undesignated;

(i) if, during the period the House stands adjourned, the Speaker receives a notice from the House leaders of all four recognized parties indicating that it is in the public interest that the House remain adjourned until a future date or until future notice is given to the Speaker, the House will remain adjourned accordingly;

(j) Bill C-4, An Act to implement the Agreement between Canada, the United States of America and the United Mexican States, be deemed read a third time and passed;

(k) during the period the House stands adjourned, the House may be recalled, under the provisions of Standing Order 28(3), to consider measures to address the economic impact of COVID-19 and the impacts on the lives of Canadians;

(l) the government’s responses to petitions 431-00042 to 431-00045 be tabled immediately and questions on the Order Paper numbered Q-245 to Q-259 be made into orders for returns and that the said returns be tabled immediately;

(m) the government provide regular updates to representatives of the opposition parties;

(n) any special warrant issued under the Financial Administration Act may be deposited with the Clerk of the House during the period the House is adjourned;

(o) any special warrant issued under the Financial Administration Act and deposited with the Clerk of the House shall be referred to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the committee shall meet to consider any warrants referred to it within 20 sitting days; and

(p) the House call on the Auditor General of Canada to immediately conduct an audit of the special warrants issued under the Financial Administration Act and that the Auditor General of Canada report his findings to the House no later than June 1, 2021.

Madam Speaker, this decision was taken to help keep all Canadians safe and healthy. We made this decision together, with all the parties, and we did not make it lightly.

Our action today demonstrates that we take this challenge seriously. I want to thank all of the health care workers and professionals.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank all health care professionals, who are going through tough times at work as they help us through this crisis.

To Canadians, workers and families; to children concerned for their parents; to sisters and brothers concerned for loved ones and friends, we are all united. We will face this together, and we will get through this together.

[Business of the House, March 12th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.

This afternoon we will continue debate on the NDP motion.

Tomorrow, we will resume debate on Bill C-4 on the free trade agreement with Mexico and the United States. We hope to conclude the debate that afternoon.

When hon. colleagues return from the constituency week, we will follow up with Bill C-7 on medical assistance in dying, Bill C-8 on conversion therapy and Bill C-3 on CBSA oversight.

Finally, I would like to inform the House that Monday, March 23, and Thursday, March 26, shall be allotted days.

[National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, March 12th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to subsections 21(6) and 21(5) of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, two reports.

The first is the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians annual report for 2019.

The second is the special report on the collection, use, retention and dissemination of information on Canadians.

Pursuant to paragraph 21(7)(b) of the act, I request that the reports be referred to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.

[Ethics, March 10th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, if my colleague is so interested in what Bloc MPs think, he can invite them out for a beer and talk it out. There is no shortage of pubs near the Hill. They can go have a chat over a beer.

The Prime Minister has discussions with all the parties in the House. Talking to the various leaders and parties is part of our responsibilities. It is the responsible way to work in Parliament.

[Ethics, March 10th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleague to refer to the Standing Orders of the House for any questions regarding committee work and decisions. The Standing Orders clearly indicate that committees make their own decisions.

[Ethics, March 10th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I did not expect to have to defend the Bloc Québécois. The Bloc Québécois is perfectly capable of defending itself and answering these questions. If they want to ask these kinds of questions, they can discuss them outside the House—

[Ethics, March 10th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I can sense my colleague's interest in committee work. I invite him to read the rules of the House committees, which clearly indicate that committees are masters of their own destiny and make their own decisions.

[Ethics, March 10th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague seems to be quite agitated. I can assure him that the Bloc Québécois is perfectly capable of defending itself.

As for the committees of the House, they are independent and make their own decisions.

[Business of the House, March 10th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to inform the House that Thursday, March 12, 2020, shall be an allotted day.