EVIDENCE Standing Committee on the Status of Women NUMBER 035 3rd SESSION 40th PARLIAMENT Thursday, November 4, 2010 Le jeudi novembre Standing Committee on the Status of Women CANADA [Recorded by Electronic Apparatus] EVIDENCE November 4, 2010 Committee Edited Evidence * Table of Contents * Number 035 (Official Version) Official Report * Table of Contents * Number 035 (Official Version) Témoignages * Table des matières * Numéro 035 (Version officielle) 35 04 11 2010 2010/11/04 08:50:00 House of Commons Comité permanent de la condition féminine Standing Committee on the Status of Women FEWO Chair The Honourable Hedy Fry 40 PUBLIC PART ONLY -

PARTIE PUBLIQUE SEULEMENT (0945) [ English ] The Chair (Hon. Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre, Lib.)) : All right, we're in public session. In English, the motion is that the committee ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs to take the strongest actions possible to demand that the government of Iran permanently stay the execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, and release her and her son, and that furthermore this committee communicate its deep concern directly to the President of Iran. Now in French: [ Translation ] That the committee ask the Minister of [...] [ English ] Sorry, is that the one? This is the new one?

Okay. [ Translation ] That the committee ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs to take the strongest actions possible to demand that the government of Iran permanently stay the execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, and release her and her son, and that furthermore this committee communicate its deep concern directly to the President of Iran. [ English ] Sorry, I had trouble reading that item. So I will call the question. (Motion agreed to) The Chair: Let it be noted that the committee unanimously passed this motion, and we will now ask that we get this directly to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

I will tell you that it will go with just a simple covering note from the chair saying that the committee suspended its meeting today in order to present this urgent recommendation and we would ask you to please accept it as an urgent recommendation--that kind of thing. Also, we need to write a letter from the committee to the President of Iran. That is going to take a little bit of time, and we will dispatch someone to do it right away as well. Yes, Madame Demers. [ Translation ] Ms. Nicole Demers (Laval, BQ) : Excuse me, Madam Chair, but wouldn't it be better to table the motion immediately in the House.

We could make it clear that the committee has suspended its routine proceedings to table the motion at this time, and we could also present it to the minister at the same time. [ English ] The Chair : Yes. [ Translation ] Ms. Nicole Demers : Could the House not break with proceedings so that the motion could be tabled immediately? Is it not possible to table an urgent motion in the House? [ English ] The Chair : If we put it in the House I cannot.... I don't know if I can do it without waiting for presentation of reports. [ Translation ] Ms.

Nicole Demers : Can we table an urgent motion to the House? [ English ] The Chair : Yes, but I will have to get permission from the Speaker to break proceedings-- [ Translation ] Ms. Nicole Demers : So it's possible then? [ English ] The Chair : Let us find out if that can happen right away. [ Translation ] Ms. Nicole Demers : Yes. I think the Speaker would agree to this. [ English ] The Chair : So perhaps we can.... All right, can we get somebody to do it then? Then we can continue to ask to keep this meeting. Or would you like the chair to lead the meeting and have Cathy-- [ Translation ] Ms.

Nicole Demers : Madam Chair, it could be the person who moved the motion, if she's willing to do that. [ English ] The Chair : Just a second. Let us decide how we do this. Do we get one of the members of the committee who proposed the motion to do it, or because the motion has now been passed by this committee, it is now a motion of the committee, would you like me to go and Cathy can take over? Some hon. members: Yes. The Chair: All right. Cathy, can you take the chair while I run over, please? I'd like to suspend for just one minute before we go in camera. [ Proceedings continue in camera ]