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Results: 1 - 15 of 20
View Rhéal Fortin Profile
BQ (QC)
I'm sorry, I always forget where you have to click to raise your hand.
Madam Chair, I am a little unhappy with the way we are doing this. I consider this bill to be very important. I feel all members of the committee have worked very hard on this bill over the last few days. Certainly, several of us in my office worked on it, and I'm sure the same is true for the other members. Similarly, I am sure that the people who submitted briefs or came to testify also spent many hours preparing and sending them to us. As we all know, most of these briefs were sent to us yesterday and today. We were still receiving some this morning. My assistant has counted 246 briefs. We have not been able to read all of them. We have read about 50 of them and we are still working on them. Does that mean that, even though we have invited hundreds of people to submit their views on this bill, we will not even hear them all?
I know it's not bad faith on the part of anyone on this committee, but it still shows a lack of respect for those individuals. No one has disrespected the witnesses directly, but if we do a clause-by-clause study of the bill and vote on it this morning before we have even read all the briefs, that will be a form of disrespect. Unless someone has an exceptional gift, which I would love for them to pass on to me, I'm sure none of us has read all of the 246 briefs we received.
That was a long preamble on my part, Madam Chair. In a word, I propose that we give ourselves time to look at all of these briefs. We may find other proposals for amendments, because that's actually what this process is all about. When people write to us and tell us what they think, sometimes we respectfully tell them that we disagree and that we will not be acting on their proposals, but sometimes—
View Rhéal Fortin Profile
BQ (QC)
I don't know when the technical glitch happened, but I was explaining that we received such a large number of briefs that we have been unable to read them all. The fact that we received so many and that so many people wanted to come and testify is a sign of success, and we should not complain about it. It means that the public is interested in the bill.
Therefore, in our thought process, we must consider what people have told us. We will agree with some and disagree with others. In some cases, the proposals they submitted may prompt us to introduce amendments to the bill. One thing is for sure, out of respect for those who have written to us and come to testify, we should postpone clause-by-clause study of the bill to a meeting after we come back in January. It will give all of us the time over the holiday season to read the briefs, reflect on them and propose amendments if we think it is appropriate.
For example, I personally have not seen much done to clarify the proposed definition in clause 5 of the bill. I'm really concerned about that definition. All of the witnesses we heard from, regardless of their background, agree that the definition is unclear. Obviously, we all need to think about it.
When I had my practice, lawmakers were seen as godlike figures. Here, however, I find we are being a bit sloppy by doing a clause-by-clause study of the bill when we have not yet had time to read the briefs, thoughts and comments that members of the public have sent us.
For all these reasons, I suggest that we postpone the clause-by-clause study to a meeting after work resumes in January.
View Arif Virani Profile
Lib. (ON)
My thanks to Mr. Fortin for his comments. However, let us not forget that we have made arrangements and planned the committee's schedule accordingly, as this is an important study for all Canadians, particularly for the LGBTQ2 community.
We have indeed received many briefs. However, we can start reviewing them today and continue at later stages. Yes, the briefs could have an influence on different points of view during our debates in the House at third reading and when the Senate is considering the bill. Even if we go ahead today with clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, it doesn't mean that the briefs and other documents we have received will not have an impact, because it will still be possible for them to influence the debate throughout the parliamentary process in either the House or the Senate.
View Randall Garrison Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I'd like to point out that there is a procedure for raising amendments at report stage that were unable to be considered at committee. Should there be proposals for amendments in the briefs that came in late, which I know we will all look at in the intervening period, it would be possible for Monsieur Fortin to make those amendments at report stage. I think he would have a very good argument, for the reason was the volume of submissions that came in and the inability to consider them before then.
However, I would say that I would like to proceed today. I think this is an important bill, especially to the sexual orientation and gender identity community in this country. The longer we go on in a minority Parliament, the more we are in danger of bills being lost to an early election. I think we've had a wide range of witnesses before the committee. We have a good selection of amendments in front of us, and I would like to proceed today.
View Rob Moore Profile
CPC (NB)
Madame Findlay asked the question I was going to ask.
I know, for myself and all committee members.... I received a number of briefs last night, and then I received a number of them even today. I do think when there's a lot of interest.... There's some merit in what Monsieur Fortin is saying, because there seems to be a lot of interest. There were certainly diverse views on the bill itself at the three meetings that we had on it, so I do sympathize. Mr. Virani said it's important to study this bill, and it is, but part of studying is hearing from Canadians and hearing from different groups and witnesses.
Madame Findlay asked the question, but since I have the floor, I will take a moment to commend our translation services, because the volume of work that they would have had to go through to translate all of those is unbelievable. I'm sure they had to have been working through the night when we see the volume that we received, so hats off to them.
View Arif Virani Profile
Lib. (ON)
I'm not trying to take any time from Mr. Cooper.
I firmly believe that we can disagree without being disagreeable, and comments like that are not appropriate when they're volleyed at any member of Parliament, including the members of this committee.
I would just ask the chair to perhaps caution the witnesses in their use of terminology.
Thank you.
View Kerry-Lynne Findlay Profile
CPC (BC)
Yes. We have heard testimony in this committee, both in the last bill and this one, where witnesses attack—that's the word—other witnesses and attack members of Parliament without comment from my colleague, Mr. Virani, if it was in line with his thinking on these bills. You cannot say to one witness, “You cannot take issue with other testimony”, and not do it for each and every one. That is totally improper.
View Rob Moore Profile
CPC (NB)
Madam Chair, on a similar vein to Madam Findlay, the time for Mr. Virani's intervention would have been when Mr. Garrison started throwing out offensive terms and disparaging our witnesses. Witnesses are here, and for many of them it's probably their first time being before a parliamentary committee. This is their time. Let's listen to them.
I think it's a two-way street, and respect has to come from our members of Parliament towards the witnesses as well. We shouldn't disparage any of them. I think every witness here today has brought something of value, and that's what we're discussing. So whether it's witness to witness, parliamentarian to parliamentarian, or between parliamentarians and witnesses, let's just have a respectful dialogue.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
View Iqra Khalid Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you, Mr. Moore.
I thank members for raising the points of order. I will remind members that witnesses do have privilege when they come before committee to testify. With that privilege we hope that we can have respectful dialogue, respectful debate on the issues that are before us. I encourage all witnesses and members to please be mindful and be respectful of one another as we endeavour...on this study.
Thank you for raising this.
Mr. Cooper, we're back to you.
View Rob Moore Profile
CPC (NB)
On a point of order, Madam Chair, while I respect your ruling, I do feel that CPC-9 is within the scope of this legislation. It deals directly with the provision of assisted dying; it deals with the very things this bill deals with, and it's an important safeguard.
For that reason, I would like to challenge the ruling of the chair on the admissibility of CPC-9.
View Rob Moore Profile
CPC (NB)
Madam Chair, you didn't let her answer the question. She had 30 seconds, and then you spoke for 30 seconds. Please let the....
Number one, we agreed on a timing for these committee meetings, and we're in a five-minute Conservative slot. The witness has 30 seconds to answer. You can't filibuster her answer, so could we please allow 30 seconds for Mrs. Herx to answer?
View Iqra Khalid Profile
Lib. (ON)
For clarification, Mr. Moore, Dr. Herx had said that she would not be able to answer in those 30 seconds, and so I had clarified for her that she is able to give a complete and full answer by writing in to the committee so that's she's not rushed with respect to providing whatever comments she has to make, and I'll stick to that ruling.
Thank you for raising that flag, Mr. Moore. Go ahead, Mr. Kelloway.
View Rob Moore Profile
CPC (NB)
Madam Chair, we are in a five-minute Conservative time slot. Just because it happens that the meeting is going to end when it's Conservatives' turn to speak....
Mr. Lake has five minutes to ask this witness, or any witness, the questions. You can't just make things up as we go along. We've agreed, as a committee, that this is a five-minute spot, and divvying it up is not how these committees work.
View Iqra Khalid Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you for raising your concerns, Mr. Moore. We do try to operate as flexibly as we can, obviously, given the committee room times, but I take your point, so I'll ask the clerk how much longer we have this room. We'd like to ensure that we're able to get through all of the questions with the time that we have.
Marc-Olivier Girard
View Marc-Olivier Girard Profile
Marc-Olivier Girard
2020-11-05 12:55
Madam Chair, I believe that if the committee goes a little bit beyond 1:00, it would be okay.
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