Evidence of meeting #1 for Canadian Heritage in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:35 p.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Richard Rumas
Honourable members, I see a quorum.
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(1), we will proceed to the election of the chair. I am ready to receive motions to that effect.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
I would like to nominate Gary Schellenberger as the honourable chair. It is my utmost honour to do so.
3:35 p.m.
The Clerk
It is moved by Mr. Simms that Mr. Schellenberger be elected chair of the committee. Are there other nominations?
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
3:35 p.m.
The Clerk
Thank you.
Is the committee ready to adopt the motion?
(Motion agreed to)
We now proceed, pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), to the election of two vice-chairs, one of which will come from the official opposition and one from the other opposition parties.
Madame Lavallée.
3:35 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I would like to nominate Scott Simms for the position of first vice-chair.
3:35 p.m.
The Clerk
Are there any other nominations?
The motion is that Scott Simms be elected first vice-chair of the committee.
(Motion agreed to)
The second vice-chair is a member of an opposition party other than the official opposition. Nominations?
It is moved by Monsieur Rodriguez that Madame Lavallée be elected as the second vice-chair of the committee.
(Motion agreed to)
Having done that, I will now ask the elected chair, Mr. Schellenberger, to take the chair.
3:35 p.m.
An hon. member
Welcome back, Mr. Chair.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Thank you very much.
I must say that I've been in a lot of elections, it seems, since 2003. I've sat on this committee since 2003, when I came here. Thank you very much for the confidence that you see in me. Either it's confidence or I'm easy; I don't know what it is. Again, thank you very much for the support. I hope that as we go forward in this 40th Parliament we can definitely make everyone proud of this committee. I think it's a very important committee. We will go forward on that.
I also thank my vice-chairs for their election.
Now we move to routine motions. As we go through this, while we have some general ways, I'm going to go down the routine motions that we've adopted in this heritage committee over the last number of years. If you want me to go back to what the general routine motions are too, I can do that. What I look forward to here is that this is what we've done before.
As I read the motions, I guess I'll need a mover.
Mr. Del Mastro.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
Just before you get to that, Mr. Chair, I was wondering if, with the indulgence of the committee, I might be able to move a motion for adoption by the committee at this point, prior to getting into routine proceedings. I'd need unanimous consent to read the motion in, because obviously I haven't given any notice of it.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
Oh, we don't have a requirement yet? What I would like to put forward is that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage welcome the Honourable James Moore, as the new Minister of Canadian Heritage, to speak to committee members on February 9, to introduce himself to the committee, to share with the committee the work he has undertaken since becoming Minister of Canadian Heritage, and to discuss the future business of the committee. That would be next Monday, Mr. Chair, if it's agreeable to the members of the committee.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
We'll hear from Madame Lavallée first and then Ms. Dhalla.
3:35 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Congratulations on your election, Mr. Chair. I think we will all find an interesting way of working together.
You announced that we have some routine motions to attend to. It's quite normal for this to be our first item of business. With all due respect to Mr. Del Mastro who made an excellent suggestion regarding the work plan, I'd like us to deal with the routine motions first and agree on procedure before moving on to the work plan.
I'm not sure where we stand on procedure, but I'm prepared to move a motion, if necessary.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
It seems we don't have unanimous consent to go to the motion at this particular time. We'll do our routine motions and then we can deal with your motion.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
We haven't adopted routine motions yet, so I guess we don't need unanimous consent.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON
I think it is an excellent idea to have the minister come before the committee. There are a number of issues that committee members would like to discuss with regard to some of the cuts that have been taking place, and I hope this meeting, which I would see, based on what you said, as an introductory meeting, would not prevent the minister from coming again to discuss the cuts.
Perhaps what Ms. Lavallée is saying--to go through the proposed agenda and finalize what we would like to do with the committee--would be in the best interests of the committee. If the motion were presented at that time, we could perhaps have the minister come once to discuss all of the issues that need to be addressed by the committee instead of having the minister come twice.
3:40 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to introduce Niki Ashton, who will be taking my place when I'm not here. I'll be stepping down for her at times. She's not in a voting capacity when I'm here, and vice versa.
I appreciate the desire to get this business under way as quickly as possible. I feel that we need to set up the committees. We need to have discussions. It is certainly something we want to get to, but I'd be concerned about jumping ahead of that before we actually had a chance to have a general discussion on some of the areas we want to go to. I'm not opposing the motion, but I think we need to deal with general business first, and then we can put it in the mix.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
We'll just set that aside right now and get to routine motions.
Number one is on the services of analysts from the Library of Parliament: 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 in its work.
(Motion agreed to)
3:40 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I have a question, Mr. Chair. We have received two documents. How are the two different?
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
One is general routine motions, but the one I'm reading from and trying to adopt is the one we've used here, which says “Routine motions...Canadian Heritage”. That's what we've used in this particular committee. That is the one we are looking at, if you want to cross-reference it with the other one. So far we have adopted number one.
Number two is on committee business, the subcommittee on agenda and procedure: that all matters related to the committee's business agenda and procedure be taken up in the committee of the whole.
That's what we have usually done here. We've met as a committee of the whole for those parts of the agenda and procedure.
Can I have someone move that?
It's moved by Mr. Angus.
Yes, Mr. Bruinooge.
