Document Information

Date: 1980-10-28
By: Canada (Parliament)
Citation: Canada, House of Commons Debates, 32nd Parl, 1st Sess, 1980 at 4151.
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COMMONS DEBATES — October 28, 1980

[Page 4151]

THE CONSTITUTION

PROPOSED RESOLUTION—TELEVISING OF JOINT COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS—MOTION UNDER S.O. 43

Right Hon. Joe Clark (Leader of the Opposition): Madam Speaker, I rise tinder the provisions of Standing Order 43 to seek the permission of the House to move a motion on a matter of pressing and urgent necessity.

In view of tlte clear statement by the Prime Minister (Mr. Trudeau) last Thursday as reported on pages 3965 and 3969 of Hansard that the Special Joint Committee on the constitution could make its own decision on televising its own proceedings, and in view of the fact that on August 22. 1978, the present Secretary of State for External Affairs (Mr. MacGuigan) ruled, when chairman of the Special Joint Committee on the Constitution of Canada, that committees did not have the power to authorize the televising of their own proceedings, I move, seconded by the hon. member For Nepean-Carleton (Mr. Baker):

That the Prime Minister direct his House leader to bring a motion before the House authorizing the televising of the proposed Special Joint Committee on the proposed constitutional resolution.

Madam Speaker: For presentation, this motion requires the unanimous consent of the House. Is there unanimous consent?

Some hon. Members: Agreed.

Some hon. Members: No.

PROPOSED RESOLUTION—REPRESENTATION OF SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS BEFORE JOINT COMMITTEE—MOTION UNDER S.O. 43

Mr. Bill Domm (Peterborough): Madam Speaker, this government has denied representation in Parliament through closure. It now seeks to deny representation in committee to minority and special interest groups by preventing the committee from travelling. Therefore I move. seconded by the hon. member for Prince George-Peace River (Mr. Oberle):

That, to use the government’s own words in the very first paragraph of the proposed resolution for the constitutional change that within the “reasonable limits as are generally accepted in a free and democratic society with a parliamentary system of government groups of Canadian citizens be recognized and enabled to travel to present their case to this joint committee, and that their travel costs be underwritten by this government using perhaps some of their surplus advertising dollars, since this government refuses to let allow the committee to go to the people.

Madam Speaker: For presentation, this motion requires the unanimous consent of the House. Is there unanimous consent?

Some hon. Members: Agreed.

Some hon. Members: No.