Bill C-11 Committee on Feb. 14th, 2012

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

I call the meeting to order.

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the much-anticipated, long-awaited legislative committee on Bill C-11. I'd like to welcome everyone here today. I'm looking forward to being your chair. It's very exciting for me as well. I'm looking forward to some very positive debate.

We're trying to put forward an agenda today. We're starting off with committee business, so with that, I'm willing to open it up.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

Mr. Chairman--

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

I acknowledge right over here Mr. Lake, Mr. Angus, and then Mr. Regan.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

I think we have to go through the routine motions here. First off, I want to congratulate you, Mr. Chair. I look forward to working with you and with everybody else on the committee. It's going to be an interesting time. We really look forward to it.

With that, I'll just move that the committee retain, as needed and at the discretion of the chair, the services of one or more analysts from the Library of Parliament to assist it in its work.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Great. Thanks. Is that agreed to by everyone?

(Motion agreed to)

Awesome. Come on up. Welcome to our analysts.

Go ahead, Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

Can I keep going? I don't know how we want to do this.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Keep going.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

Okay. I move that the chair be authorized to hold meetings to receive evidence and to have that evidence printed when a quorum is not present, provided that at least four members are present, including one member from the government and one member of the opposition.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Is that agreed?

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Pardon me, Mr. Chairman. I move that the motion be amended by replacing the words “and one member of the opposition” with the words “and one member from each of the opposition parties”. The quorum would require one member from each of the opposition parties.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Okay, I'll open that up.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

I'm just basing this on the routine motion that we've adopted in the industry committee, of which you're a member as well. I've dropped the part about scheduled meetings outside the precinct, because we won't have any, but other than that, the motion is exactly what we have in the industry committee.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Go ahead, Mr. Angus.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Obviously we all have a desire to be ready, willing, and able to deal with this important piece of legislation. The only question I have is that when we talk about a member of the opposition, the chair is a member of the opposition, so does that mean that if you call a meeting with him...?

I would imagine that the four should include one member of the opposition and one of the government, not counting the chair. That way we are ensuring that—

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Yes. I just need to—

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

The chair is bound to come because it's his obligation, but if it's one member of the opposition, I'm—

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

He's the one who calls the meeting.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

I call the meeting, but this is a different committee. It's not a standing committee; it's a legislative committee. I'm here basically as the representative of the Speaker, so I don't take part in the debate and I can't vote. Just for clarification, there is that difference between a standing and a legislative committee.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

When we say “one member of the opposition” in this motion—because it's a typical motion—can we get a clarification from the clerk that does it not include Mr. Thibeault?

I see we have that clarification.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

All right. Is there any further discussion?

We have an amendment coming from Mr. Regan. Can you repeat the amendment, please?

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

It is that the quorum be four members of the committee, including one from the official opposition and one from the Liberal Party.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

All right. Here's what I have in terms of the amendment: that quorum be four members of the committee, including one from the official opposition and one from the other party.

Is there discussion?

Go ahead, Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

With due respect to all responsible members' efforts to be prompt and on time at committee meetings, this motion would actually render the committee unable to commence should a member of the Liberal Party, for some unforeseen reason.... It's wintertime, and they could slip and fall. Who knows? We couldn't actually commence the committee meetings if the member from the Liberal Party wasn't present, and there is only one member of the Liberal Party, so you would have all of the committee meetings effectively held hostage by the schedule of the Liberal member who might be attending that day.

I respect why it was brought forward and I understand why it was brought forward, but I would encourage members to vote against it.

Thank you.

[The Chair, NDP, Glenn Thibeault]

Is there any other discussion?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

No.