Public Safety Committee on May 9th, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 106 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.

Pursuant to the order of reference of Wednesday, December 13, 2023, the committee is commencing its study of Bill S-210, an act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material.

Please note that an in camera portion of 30 minutes is planned at the end of the meeting for discussing committee business.

With regard to avoiding feedback, before we begin, I would like to remind all members and other meeting participants in the room of the following important preventive measures.

To prevent disruptive and potentially harmful audio feedback incidents that can cause injuries, all in-person participants are reminded to keep their earpieces away from all microphones at all times.

As indicated in the communication from the Speaker to all members on Monday, April 29, the following measures have been taken to help prevent audio feedback incidents.

All earpieces have been replaced by a model that greatly reduces the probability of audio feedback. The new earpieces are black in colour, whereas the former earpieces were grey. Please only use an approved black earpiece.

By default, all unused earpieces will be unplugged at the start of a meeting.

When you are not using your earpiece, please place it face down on the middle of the sticker for this purpose that you will find on the table, as indicated.

Please consult the cards on the table for guidelines to prevent audio feedback incidents.

The room layout has been adjusted to increase the distance between microphones and reduce the chance of feedback from an ambient earpiece.

These measures are in place so that we can conduct our business without interruption and protect the health and safety of all participants, including the interpreters.

Thank you all for your co-operation.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format.

I would also like to make a few comments for the benefits of members and witnesses: Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking, and I will remind you that all comments should be addressed through the chair.

I would like to welcome our witnesses for the first hour and a half.

From the Department of Canadian Heritage, we have Owen Ripley, associate assistant deputy minister, cultural affairs; Katie O'Meara, policy analyst; and Galen Teschner-Weaver, policy analyst.

Now I would invite you to make an opening statement of up to five minutes.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, just before we start....

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Go ahead.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I was surprised by the meeting notice for a number of reasons. I had expected that we would be completing what we were discussing previously. With that in mind, I'd like to move a motion:

That the committee resume debate on the report from the subcommittee—

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Excuse me for just one second.

Listen. First of all, if you start talking over, the interpreters.... I just—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

That's fine. I welcome his point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

All right, so both parties....

Mr. Genuis, we put the agenda in place. We're going to get to your motion. At your time during question period, when you have the opportunity to speak, if you want to make another amendment, then so be it; make it. I'm going to allow the witnesses to at least start here.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, but you gave me the floor. I'm now moving a motion.

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

I have a point of order—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

The motion is as follows: “That the committee resume debate on the report from the subcommittee on agenda and procedure and the amendment of Mr. Genuis, provided that once debate—”

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Mr. Genuis, we have a point of order.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Okay, yes, for sure.

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

There's no respect from Mr. Genuis. This is his shtick. It's been his shtick his entire career that I've been.... We were elected together in 2015.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

This is not a point of order.

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Chair, again, you asked Mr. Genuis not to speak over us, and that's again part of his shtick.

He rose on a point of order—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I didn't rise on a point of order.

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

He can't move a motion on a point of order. He was given the floor under that pretense. The witnesses get to speak now.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, on the point of order, I did not rise on a point of order. I did not say “point of order”. I was given the floor by the chair. I began making comments, and I moved the motion.

It was not a point of order. I did not say “point of order” at any point. I was given the floor, so I'll now proceed, Mr. Chair.

As the rules allow me, and I can comment on.... Mr. Bittle can make all kinds of aspersions about my motives, but—

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Mr. Genuis, you have the floor.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Get back to the point, please.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

That's fantastic.

The motion that I'm moving is as follows: “That the committee resume debate on the report from the subcommittee on agenda and procedure and the amendment of Mr. Genuis, provided that once debate has been resumed, Mr. Caputo be deemed to have the floor.”

The report that I'd like to—

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

I have a point of order.

Could I get clarification on your ruling, Mr. Chair, in terms of Mr. Genuis's being able to move this motion?

[The Chair, Liberal, Heath MacDonald]

Yes. He didn't request a point of order.