Evidence of meeting #1 for Government Operations and Estimates 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.
11:05 a.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Michel Marcotte
Honourable members of the committee, I see a quorum.
We can now proceed to the election of the chair. I'm ready to receive motions to that effect.
Mr. McTeague.
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
Mr. Clerk, it is my honour to move that my colleague Derek Lee be elected chair of this committee.
11:05 a.m.
The Clerk
Are there any other motions?
It has been moved by Mr. Dan McTeague that Derek Lee be elected chair of the committee. Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
(Motion agreed to)
11:05 a.m.
The Clerk
I declare the motion carried and Mr. Derek Lee duly elected chair of the committee.
11:05 a.m.
Some hon. members
Hear, hear!
11:05 a.m.
The Clerk
Before inviting Mr. Lee to take the chair, if the committee wishes we will now proceed to the election of vice-chairs.
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
11:05 a.m.
The Clerk
Are there any other motions?
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
11:05 a.m.
The Clerk
The second vice-chair should be from an opposition party other than the official opposition.
Madame Bourgeois.
11:05 a.m.
The Clerk
Are there any other further motions?
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the said motion?
(Motion agreed to)
11:05 a.m.
The Clerk
I declare Mr. Martin duly elected second vice-chair of the committee.
I now invite Mr. Derek Lee to take the chair.
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Derek Lee
Thank you, colleagues, for your confidence, and thank you, Mr. Marcotte, for opening the organization meeting.
I'd like to proceed now to the routine motions normally considered at this meeting.
The clerk will now distribute some proposed routine motions. The copy you will receive in both official languages has both a recommended motion as well as the actual motion adopted by this committee in the previous Parliament for reference.
I know there isn't going to be a lot of debate on these. I suggest, if there is unanimity on this, that following the adoption of the routine motions we consider future business. I'd like someone around the table to propose that when we get to that point, if that's okay.
Colleagues, if you take a look at the list, there are almost 10 areas where we could adopt motions. I'll go through the list, and if a member wishes to move something, indicate so and we will consider it.
The first subject area is the services of an analyst from the Library of Parliament.
11:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Derek Lee
I'll let Mr. Martin pick the right motion. It looks like both motions are identical.
11:10 a.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I was interested in simply replicating the practice of the committee in the last Parliament, Mr. Chairman, so whichever motion would reflect that was my intention
11:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Derek Lee
Well, in this case it would be column two. Mr. Martin moves 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)
11:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Derek Lee
We'll move on to B. Again, the motions appear to be identical.
Mr. Martin`is moving--and there may be some discussion on this--that the subcommittee on agenda and procedure be established and be composed of the chair, two vice-chairs, and a member of the other opposition party. That's a subcommittee of four.
Mr. Anders.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Rob Anders Conservative Calgary West, AB
I realize that most committees adopt this and it's standard pro forma. I know in some committees I've served on in the past.... In order to not burden us with too many committee meetings, I prefer generally to have steering committees, if you will, done as part of a committee of the whole, because it saves us extra committee time and everything else. It certainly doesn't prevent us from passing this motion.
I'm just levelling out my preference on these things.
11:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Derek Lee
Keeping that in mind then, perhaps we could adopt the motion, and then as the times prevail, we will try to do some future business discussion in the committee of the whole, if I can put it that way.
Would that be acceptable? Mr. Martin has moved the motion.
(Motion agreed to)
11:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Derek Lee
On C, reduced quorum, these motions are identical as well.
Mr. Warkentin is going to move this.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Chris Warkentin Conservative Peace River, AB
There's just one change. In most committees the government member would be the chair. Considering the fact that we are opposition chaired, we might change it from “including one member of the opposition” to say “one member of the opposition and one member of the government”.
11:10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Derek Lee
I'm wondering why that didn't get adopted that way in the last Parliament.
Do you have the wording on that, Mr. Clerk?
