SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 200 - May/18/23

May/18/23 3:13:33 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-21

It being 3:10 p.m., pursuant to order made on Thursday, June 23, 2022, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the amendment to the motion at third reading stage of Bill C-21. The question is on the amendment.

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The Speaker

May/18/23 3:27:12 p.m.
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I declare the amendment defeated. The next question is on the main motion. If a member of a recognized party in the House wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division, or wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair. The hon. member for Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne.

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Mrs. Sherry Romanado

May/18/23 3:27:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded division.

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The Speaker

May/18/23 3:39:37 p.m.
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I declare the motion carried.

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Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, Lib.)

May/18/23 3:40:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Addiction is a complex issue and the deadly opioid epidemic, which has been fuelled by a poisoned drug supply, requires a compassionate, evidence-based approach to save lives. Recently, members of the Conservatives, including the MP for Saskatchewan—

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The Speaker

May/18/23 3:40:17 p.m.
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Is there a standing order that has been contravened? If you can start with that and then prove why, that would be wonderful.

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Mr. Adam van Koeverden

May/18/23 3:40:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I believe we can disagree on policy matters without resorting to derogatory name-calling and referring to other members as murderers.

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The Speaker

May/18/23 3:40:33 p.m.
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That is a good point to bring up. What the hon. member is saying is that we do not call each other names in this chamber, and I want to remind everyone not to call each other names. The use of the term he referred to, as far as I am concerned, is to call someone a name. The hon. member has brought up a point that is very valid. Calling each other names does not lead to good debate. It is more a schoolyard type of action we do not want to have in the chamber. I want to remind both sides, for the rest of the very emotional debate that will be taking place tonight, or whatever debate we are having in the House, not to call each other names or make up names for each other. I am sure members do it with affection for each other, but it is not allowed in the chamber. I thank the hon. member for Milton for bringing that up.

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Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP)

May/18/23 3:41:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order in relation to the vote that just occurred. Apparently, there were two members who voted with their app but no photo appeared, so we would like clarification on the validity of their vote, and this is for future context as well. It was the member for Fredericton and the member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies.

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The Speaker

May/18/23 3:42:18 p.m.
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In consulting with the table, I understand that this normally has to be brought up before the results are announced. That is why the whips have the information, and they are supposed to get back to us with that, but what we are going to do is look into it and find out exactly what was there. In future, if someone's photo was not clear, I would ask them to bring it up as soon as we stop, because once I stop, we usually go to the next step, which is asking for the results of the vote. That is normally when it would be brought up during the vote.

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Mr. Luc Berthold

May/18/23 3:43:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that the current rules allow a period of time when each of the whips can inform the Speaker and the House of any problems arising during a vote. These problems should have been raised when you asked members to report any problems that occurred during the vote. I think the Standing Orders are very clear in this regard.

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The Speaker

May/18/23 3:43:57 p.m.
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I thank the member. He said it much more eloquently than me. I hear noise from the other side. I do not know if it is coming from the hallway or the lobby. It seems to have stopped. I wish to inform the House that because of the deferred recorded division, Government Orders will be extended by 26 minutes. I believe we have the Thursday question.

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Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

May/18/23 3:44:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, just before we go back to our ridings for a week, after a five-week marathon where we sat until midnight several times, I think that we can pat ourselves on the back for the work that we have done and the efforts that we have made on behalf of our constituents in our ridings. I would like the government leader to tell us what we can expect the week we return from our ridings, because most of us will already be back in our ridings tomorrow. Will we have work? Will we have enough resources in the House and for committees? Will we have enough resources to do our work? Most importantly, what does the government have on the agenda upon our return to the House?

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Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Lib.)

May/18/23 3:45:21 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill S-5 Bill C-42 Bill C-40

Mr. Speaker, when we return the Monday after the week in our ridings, the agenda will include debate at third reading of Bill S‑5, an act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Tuesday and Thursday will be opposition days. On Wednesday, we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C‑42, an act to amend the Canada Business Corporations Act. On Friday, we will begin debate on Bill C‑40, miscarriage of justice review commission act, also known as David and Joyce Milgaard's law. I would also like to take this opportunity to inform members that we have posted the position of law clerk and parliamentary counsel in the House of Commons. I encourage members to share that job posting so that we can be sure to find a permanent law clerk as soon as possible to support the important work that we do as parliamentarians. Again, we have done the process in French and English. With that, I would like to wish all parliamentarians a wonderful constituency week. I know that we are going to be busy in our ridings.

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Mr. Ben Lobb

May/18/23 3:47:09 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I do not bring points of order up very often, but I just had a phone call from the member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies. There was a little confusion about his vote, with the picture not coming up on his mobile app. He is in his riding, and he is participating in dealing with the fires that are up there. I think it is already clear that his vote was recorded as a no, but that is just a little context as to why it was maybe a bit of a problem in his geography.

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The Speaker

May/18/23 3:47:36 p.m.
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Yes, we already said that we would look into it, and we will get back to the House with some kind of an answer on that. The hon. Minister of Official Languages is rising.

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Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor

May/18/23 3:47:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I forgot to mention part of the important work for next week. If you would allow me to continue, I want to make sure all members of the House are fully aware of the work to be done when we return. Pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), I would like to designate Monday, May 29, for consideration in committee of the whole of all votes under the Department of Finance in main estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. Furthermore, in relation to this upcoming debate, I would like to ask for unanimous consent to adopt the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any standing order, special order, or usual practice of the House, during the debate on the business of supply pursuant to Standing Order 81(4) on Monday, May 29, 2023: (a) the time provided for consideration of the Main Estimates in committee of the whole be extended beyond four hours, as needed, to include a minimum of 16 periods of 15 minutes each; (b) members rising to speak during the debate may indicate to the Chair that they will be dividing their time with one or more other members; and (c) no quorum calls, dilatory motions or requests for unanimous consent shall be received by the Chair.

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Consideration

The Speaker

May/18/23 3:49:06 p.m.
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All those opposed to the hon. minister's moving the motion please say nay. Agreed. The House has now heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

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Nay
Opposed

The Speaker

May/18/23 3:49:35 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-281

I am now prepared to rule on the point of order raised yesterday, May 17, by the parliamentary secretary to the government House Leader regarding an amendment adopted by the Standing Committee of Foreign Affairs and International Development during the clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-281, an act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act, the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law), the Broadcasting Act and the Prohibiting Cluster Munitions Act. The parliamentary secretary explained that the committee adopted an amendment to clause 2 of the bill that creates a new obligation on the minister to develop and maintain a government-wide international human rights strategy. According to the parliamentary secretary, this amendment proposes a new concept that exceeds the scope of the bill as adopted at second reading. The parliamentary secretary argued that, for this reason, the amendment in question should be struck from the bill as reported by the committee. When this amendment was proposed at the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, the committee chair ruled the amendment inadmissible on the grounds that it was beyond the scope of the bill. The decision was challenged and overturned. The committee then debated the amendment and adopted it. When considering legislation, the House and its committees are guided by specific procedural rules that have been long established. In relation to the scope of a bill, House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, states the following on page 770: An amendment to a bill that was referred to a committee after second reading is out of order if it is beyond the scope and principle of the bill. Bill C-281 does amend several acts, and it does create certain new obligations on the minister in relation to human rights. However, after a close reading of the bill, the new responsibilities for the minister are limited to specific areas, including communicating with families of prisoners of conscience and producing formal responses to House and Senate committees. After careful consideration, it is the opinion of the Chair that the amendment creates a new obligation requiring the designated minister to develop and maintain a government-wide international human rights strategy. The Chair of the committee correctly concluded that the amendment is beyond the scope of the bill, as it introduced a new concept not envisioned in the bill when it was adopted by the House at second reading. When a committee considers a bill at clause-by-clause, the committee chair must ensure that the proceedings on the bill conform to the procedural rules governing the consideration of amendments to bills. This includes ensuring that the committee’s review of the bill falls within the scope and principle as established by the House at second reading. When a committee fails to adhere to the will of the House as it pertains to bills, it oversteps its authority, as delegated to the committee by the House. Speaker Milliken said it well when, on May 11, 2010, at page 2650 of the Debates, he explained: As has been frequently noted, the Speaker’s involvement in committee matters is limited except in cases where a committee has exceeded its authority. The adoption of amendments that are beyond the scope of a bill is such a case.... While some members may be of the opinion that a different bill, perhaps broader in scope, ought to have been introduced, I must base my decision on the bill that actually was introduced and approved by the House at second reading. As such, the Chair rules the amendment adopted by the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development null and void and orders that it no longer form part of the bill as reported by the committee. The Chair also orders a reprint of the bill at the earliest opportunity for use by the House in its consideration of subsequent stages of the bill. However, given that the House is scheduled to consider Bill C-281 at report stage later this day, so as not to disrupt the business currently before the House, report stage will proceed based on the version of the bill as reported back from committee, with the understanding that when the bill will be reprinted, the text of the inadmissible amendment in question, at clause 2, will not be included. I thank members for their attention.

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Mrs. Julie Vignola (Beauport—Limoilou, BQ)

May/18/23 3:56:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the motion that we are debating today, I get the impression that no one is budging from their position. When I was teaching I used a book as an analogy. If I describe a cover and the person across from me describes the other cover, we will not have the same description. However, in the end, what matters are the pages between those two covers. Here, the objective is to find and implement everything we can to help people who have an addiction, whether that is services, protected sites or safe supply. I would like my colleague to talk about the importance of health transfers for ensuring adequate service delivery to people who are addicted.

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