FAAE Committee Meeting

    We're back in public session.

    Mr. Hawn.

    Thank you, Mr. Chair.

    This will be relatively short, and it's partly personal, but I think it's not just me on this committee but others on other committees as well. To make a point, at the beginning of this meeting I couldn't say anything because I was not subbed in. I'm supposed to be a permanent member of this committee, but I'm not until it gets past the procedure and House affairs committee. I suspect there are other members of other committees who are supposed to be there, but will have to sub in every time until somebody stops blocking the procedure and House affairs committee from reconstituting the committees.

     I'm not raising this as a question of privilege, but it does make it a little awkward having to be signed in every time before I can participate in the meetings. I am sure there are other members in other committees who are in the same boat. I want to make the point that we need to stop the games we're playing with at procedure and House affairs and reconstitute the committees so we can get on with our work without having to play games every time, following procedures, which aren't silly but made necessary by the blockages we've had at procedure and House affairs.

    These games need to stop now, to let all committees get on with their work the way it's supposed to be done.

    With that, Mr. Chair, I'd be happy to go back in camera.

    I would move, Mr. Chair, that we move back in camera.

    Chair, if the government is going to play it this way, opening and closing meetings, the irony here is that we have Mr. Hawn who wants to make his point, which is fine, but then he wants to open and close the door. So we should have an opportunity to respond, because I think he makes a valid point. So I would beg your indulgence—

    I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

    An hon. member: This is non-debatable, Mr. Chair.

    So this is the way we're going to do this, David?

    It's going to be a long year, David, a long year. If you want to play that way, that's fine.

    Okay, just to Mr. Hawn's point—and your point of order is not necessarily relevant to our committee at this stage—we realize that it's happening elsewhere in other committees. I don't feel this is a point of order at this stage. I realize it's a concern; it's a concern to me. I also want to state that this committee has worked fairly well together, regardless of all the other stuff that goes on.

    I would encourage us to continue in that vein, because we've worked on some good stuff and there are more things.... I think we've all decided that we would like to get back to...starting after break week. I'm hopeful we can move in that direction.

    Is the suggestion that we want to move back in camera?

    Correct.

    Okay, that's not debatable.

    Do we have consent, or do we need to have a vote?

    We don't have consent?

    No, I want to vote on this.

     I will call the question, then.

    (Motion agreed to)

    The Chair: All right, we're moving back in camera.

    To our guests at the back, thanks for joining us for 60 seconds, but we're going to suspend for a second until we get back in camera.

    [Proceedings continue in camera]