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Elizabeth May: Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to verify. I am sure the Right Hon. Prime Minister had no intention of having his vote count. He did not rise, he came in late, but I did hear his name in the roster, so I just wanted to verify.
The Acting Speaker: The hon. member for New Westminster—Coquitlam on another point of order.
Fin Donnelly: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Saint Boniface also came in late, was not in her seat, and should not be counted.
The Acting Speaker: The hon. member for Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
Philip Toone: Mr. Speaker, could we also verify whether the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development was in his seat at the start?
The Acting Speaker: Order. The Chair did see the Prime Minister arrive during the vote, but the Chair did not notice whether the parliamentary secretary for finance or the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development arrived during the vote.
The hon. Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.
Hon. John Duncan: Mr. Speaker, I came in early in the vote, but I should not have voted.
Shelly Glover: Mr. Speaker, I was not sure if they really cared much about losing by 51 or 50 votes. You can discontinue my vote.
The Acting Speaker: The three votes in question will be disallowed.
Does the Prime Minister wish to confirm?
Right Hon. Stephen Harper: Excuse me, Mr. Speaker. I was here the entire time and I can inform the leader of the Green Party that I am here now.
Elizabeth May: Mr. Speaker, I think you confirmed what we all saw. The right hon. Prime Minister entered once the vote had begun and did not attempt to vote and he did not stand to vote. I think it was just a clerical error. I certainly notice when he enters a room. The force of his personality is—
Hon. Gordon O’Connor: Mr. Speaker, It happens that the Prime Minister sits right in front of me. He was one of the people who yelled no when we were doing the vote. He has been in the whole vote.
Yvon Godin: Mr. Speaker, even if it is 8:30 in the morning, members have to stand to vote. The Prime Minister did not stand.
The Acting Speaker: Order, please. As members will know, it is common practice of the House to accept what a member says in this regard. The Prime Minister says that he was here.
What I did see was that when I called all those opposed, the Prime Minister did stand at that point, but was not recognized by the vote caller. The vote caller began with the Minister of State for Transport and by the time the line was at that point, the Prime Minister had sat down.
Justin Trudeau: Mr. Speaker, I have to admit that I am a little confused. I thought you had said that you had seen the Prime Minister arrive.
The Acting Speaker: Order, please. It is the practice of the House that when a member stands to say that he or she was here or not here, if there is any uncertainty, then the benefit of the doubt is given to that member.
On that basis, the Prime Minister’s vote will count. The vote of the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance will not count.