Evidence of meeting #1 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mrs. Carmen DePape

11:05 a.m.

The Clerk of the Committee Mrs. Carmen DePape

Honourable members of the committee, I see a quorum.

We can now proceed with the election of the chair. I am ready to receive motions to that effect.

11:05 a.m.

An hon. member

I don't think you can win this vote, Dean.

11:05 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON

I'm going to need help from you guys.

11:05 a.m.

The Clerk

Mr. Goldring.

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

Peter Goldring Conservative Edmonton East, AB

I would like to nominate Mr. Allison as chair.

11:05 a.m.

The Clerk

It has been moved by Mr. Goldring that Mr. Allison be elected as chair of the committee.

Are there further motions?

Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mr. Allison duly elected chair of the committee.

Before inviting the chair to come forward, if the committee wishes we will proceed with the election of the vice-chairs.

I am now ready to receive motions for the first vice-chair, a member of the official opposition.

Madame Lalonde.

11:05 a.m.

Bloc

Francine Lalonde Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

I nominate Mr. Patry.

11:05 a.m.

The Clerk

It has been moved by Madame Lalonde that Dr. Patry be elected first vice-chair of the committee.

Are there further motions?

Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Bernard Patry duly elected as first vice-chair of the committee.

I am now ready to receive motions for the position of second vice-chair.

11:05 a.m.

Bloc

Johanne Deschamps Bloc Laurentides—Labelle, QC

I nominate Ms. Francine Lalonde.

11:05 a.m.

The Clerk

Moved by Ms. Deschamps that Ms. Lalonde be elected second vice-chair of the committee.

Are there any other motions?

(Motion agreed to.)

11:05 a.m.

The Clerk

I now invite the chair to take the chair.

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

I believe you all have the routine motions, and since I am a new member of this committee, this is just a reminder to me as well as to all of you here.

I believe we have one other new member, Dave Van Kesteren, on the committee.

On Wednesday, March 3, 2010, the House of Commons adopted the following order:

That, for all standing committees, routine motions in effect at the time of prorogation of the previous session be deemed to have been adopted in the current session, provided that committees be empowered to alter or rescind such motions as they deem appropriate.

Accordingly, the routine motions that were in effect at the time of prorogation are reinstated. The clerk will reflect the House order in the minutes of this meeting. The committee can, if it chooses, amend any of these motions.

Finally, for information purposes, the clerk has distributed a copy of the motions to all committee members.

Is there any discussion on that?

Seeing none, we'll move forward with that.

Madame Lalonde.

11:05 a.m.

Bloc

Francine Lalonde Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

I believe we have accomplished what we came here for today and we must convene the steering committee to organize the committee's work.

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Thank you very much, Madame Lalonde. I was actually going to suggest that we look at striking a committee and that we set a date and time to meet to discuss the potential business of the committee moving forward.

I believe the way the subcommittee has worked in the past is that we have had the vice-chair of each committee, as well as the chair, as well as Mr. Dewar, as well as the parliamentary secretary. Is that correct? I guess we have consent to proceed in that fashion then.

11:05 a.m.

The Clerk

Not the parliamentary secretary, though.

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

No, I'm sorry, the parliamentary secretary is there.

You are there; I apologize.

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

Oh, man, I'd feel terrible, for all these things that I'd raised earlier on....

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Yes; or at least one of them.

Do we want to set a time for a steering meeting? Or what do we want to move forward on?

Go ahead.

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

I say as soon as possible.

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Would Thursday morning make sense, let's say at 9 o'clock?

11:05 a.m.

An hon. member

Yes, fine.

11:05 a.m.

An hon. member

No problem.

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

All right. But would the steering meeting be in replacement of the meeting, or would we want to have it before so that we continue with our meeting?

Mr. Obhrai.

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

Mr. Chair, my suggestion is that we have a steering committee meeting and then we have the main committee meeting after that, because whatever happens in the steering committee we have to pass in the main committee so that it can be processed. From Tuesday we can go back....

If we delay going to the main committee, then whatever was discussed in the steering committee would be delayed.