MP Brock.
Evidence of meeting #1 for Justice and Human Rights in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #1 for Justice and Human Rights in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
I like the approach the clerk has suggested, Mr. Chair, but for expediency purposes, I think we've all had an opportunity to review in some detail the content of the routine motions. For this purpose, perhaps we can just identify the section head and then indicate whether or not there's approval to pass that, as opposed to reading out the full text.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
Is the team good with that? Hearing no objections, let's convene to do it that way.
The first one we jump to should be under the third square you have, which is the use and retention of analyst services.
If anyone wants to know who the analysts are, they are in the back. There they are. Please stand up. We'll be working with them.
Are they going to join us, Clerk?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
You might as well join us. No one seems to be objecting to the motion.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
The second routine motion concerns the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.
Through this, we will be determining the agenda of the meetings.
If there are any any points, comments or objections, please state them now.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
Mr. Chair, at this juncture, do we want to identify the composition of that subcommittee, or do you wish, as the narrative indicates, to wait until we get official direction from each party's whip?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
It's the latter. Particularly given that there are some new members who may have some thoughts or may want to contribute in a more meaningful way, let's wait for that point.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next motion is on meetings without a quorum.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next motion is very important for the solidarity of our group.
This is about important travel that the committee may be seized with. If there are any objections, views or points on that, please state them now.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next motion is more procedural. It's on the time allotted for opening remarks and the questioning of witnesses.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next motion is on document distribution.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next motion is on another important point of group solidarity and potential hangriness: working meals.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
You made that point earlier, James.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Next, we have travel, accommodation and living expenses of witnesses.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next motion is on access to in camera meetings.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
We have a few more.
The first is on transcripts of in camera meetings.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next motion is about notice of motion.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next motion is on orders of reference from the House respecting bills.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next motion is on technical tests for witnesses.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next routine motion is on the whips' access to digital binders.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Finally, the last motion is on the maintenance of order and decorum.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Friends, there are no other formal orders of business for this meeting.
Go ahead, Mr. Maloney.
Liberal
James Maloney Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
Since there are no other orders of business, I move to adjourn.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
I have a motion I wish to table drop.
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
It can be sent to you momentarily in both official languages.
Mr. Chair, I'd like to be recognized as the first speaker, please. Both our hands were up at the same time.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
No, I recognized Mr. Maloney first.
We do have a motion to adjourn. That is the first order of business. If that does carry by the will of the committee, we will so be adjourned. We do have to dispose of that first.
MP Maloney, go ahead.
Liberal
James Maloney Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
Would I be allowed to mention something in respect to my motion?
This is picking up on Mr. Brock's point earlier. We have always worked with a collaborative spirit at this committee. We're not in committee business at this stage. We've struck a subcommittee, whose responsibility it will be to initiate whatever studies we're going to do.
Mr. Brock, I appreciate your tabling of this motion, but none of us have had an opportunity to consider it. I think it would be appropriate to adjourn, and then we can consider this at another date.
Liberal
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
Mr. Chair, it's probably going to be no secret to you or Mr. Maloney—or, in fact, the entire Liberal membership at this committee—that we'll be opposed to adjourning this meeting for a number of reasons.
It will come to a vote, but I think it's important for me to establish why we object to this. I appreciate what Mr. Maloney is saying, in that we can pick this up in the fall as another motion and add to it or speak to it in due course, but Canadians sent us back to work.
It has been a significant period of time, going back to the 44th Parliament, since we broke in mid-December for our winter break, only to find that Justin Trudeau decided to resign as leader of the Liberal Party and plunge the country into proroguement. This wasn't the will of the majority of parliamentarians. We expected to come back at the end of January and continue our work, but because of that procedural move—which, in my humble opinion, was extremely selfish and only advanced the interests of the Liberal Party of Canada and its members in Parliament—we had to go through a leadership race. We were then plunged into a general election, which we all anticipated would probably happen after the new Prime Minister was selected as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
After the election, we waited another month before we finally returned to Parliament. I appreciate that the circumstances and the issues surrounding the election were such that there were certain priorities given to the Liberal mandate, which are now being argued and debated in the House of Commons, but throughout this entire process, Mr. Chair....
I would dare say, backing up for at least three years, that there has been a prevailing movement right across this country to have the federal government finally address some weaknesses in our criminal justice system, particularly bail reform. It wasn't just opposition MPs who voiced objection. As we all know and as this country knows, there has been a groundswell of support for change. We've heard from premiers of provinces and premiers of territories. We've heard from police chiefs across this country. We've heard from presidents of police associations. We've heard from legal groups—
Liberal
James Maloney Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Brock, I don't want to interrupt, and you know, based on my past behaviour, that I'd like to let you have the floor, but there's a motion on the floor to adjourn. It's not subject to debate. The submissions you're making now, with all due respect, pertain to the motion you've dropped on us today.
I think we vote on the motion to adjourn and, depending on the outcome, we proceed from there.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Miller
Do you have a lot more, MP Brock? I note that your colleagues, MPs Gill and Lawton, want to speak as well.
Conservative
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
I'll be brief.
This is an issue that we all heard on the doorsteps when we were canvassing. This is an issue that is not going away, and simply pushing it on the back burner because the chair recognized Mr. Maloney over me.... We both had our hands up at the same time. I simply can't advance my particular motion until I'm recognized by the chair.
I exercised the appropriate procedure, and I don't think Canadians expect us to delay and punt this issue further down that proverbial football field. It needs to be addressed today, and that is why I will proudly not support Mr. Maloney's bid to adjourn this meeting.
Thank you.