Health Committee on March 11th, 2010

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Christine Holke David]

Good morning, everyone.

Good morning to all.

I see a quorum. We can now proceed to the election of the chair of the health committee.

I am ready to receive motions to that effect, but first I must inform members that the clerk of the committee can receive motions only for the election of the chair. The clerk cannot receive other types of motions and cannot entertain points of order nor participate in debate.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the government party.

Do I hear motions to that effect?

Ms. Davidson.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

I nominate Joy Smith.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Ms. Davidson that Ms. Smith be elected chair of the committee.

Are there any further motions? Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Ms. Smith duly elected chair of the health committee.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Clerk]

Before I invite Ms. Smith to take the chair, if the committee wishes, we will now proceed to the election of the vice-chairs.

I am now ready to receive motions for the position of first vice-chair. Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the first vice-chair must be a member of the official opposition.

Are there any motions?

[The Clerk]

Ms. Duncan.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

I would like to nominate Joyce Murray.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Ms. Duncan that Mrs. Murray be elected first vice-chair of the committee.

Are there any other motions? Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mrs. Murray duly elected first vice-chair of the health committee.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Clerk]

I am now ready to receive motions for the position of second vice-chair. Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the second vice-chair must be a member of an opposition party other than the official opposition.

Are there any motions?

Mr. Malo.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Madam Clerk, I would like to nominate Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Mr. Malo that Ms. Judy Wasylycia-Leis be elected second vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Health.

Are there any other motions? Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Ms. Wasylycia-Leis duly elected second vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Health.

Ms. Smith.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you so much once again--I think--for electing me the chair of the committee. Welcome back.

I congratulate Ms. Murray and Ms. Wasylycia-Leis as vice-chairs.

We see a lot of familiar faces around the committee today, so I think we're going to have a very good session and get a lot of work done.

I'm going to read a statement to you. 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 the 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, so you should have them in front of you.

I want to go forward, if I may.

Do I have to ask permission of the committee to...?

[A voice]

You can go ahead if no one opposes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

If no one opposes, we can just go ahead and do some more committee business. So if that's okay with you... If anyone opposes, let it be known now. No? Is that okay? All right.

We have to go in camera right now, so if there's anybody here who should not be here, I would... Can I just consult with the committee on this, first of all? Is it the will...? We usually go in camera for this part of the business session.

Yes? Okay, we will go in camera. Thank you.

Ms. Wasylycia-Leis.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

I guess I do have a question on why we would go in camera when we're discussing the order of...

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

It's just normally what happens at committees. Where the committee business is the business of the committee, we make our own decisions and then we make it public after that. It's entirely the will of the committee.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Well, I guess I would prefer to do it in the open.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Then we can take a vote on it. Who would like to go in camera?

We'll do, first of all, who would like to go in camera? Who would like to keep it public? Traditionally, as I said, we do go in camera, but...

All in favour of going in camera, please raise--

Do we have another question?

Yes, Mr. Malo.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Clearly, Madam Chair, as is the tradition of this committee, which we have been on together for a few years now, future business is discussed in camera. It seems important that, once we have completed our business in camera, the committee make public, through you, Madam Chair, the list of topics to be discussed by the committee in the coming months.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Absolutely. Thank you, Monsieur Malo. I'd be very pleased to do that.

Is there any more discussion on this particular topic?

Can we take a show of hands? Who would like to remain in camera for the business part of the committee? Raise your hands if you want to remain in camera. All in favour?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joy Smith]

Thank you.

[Proceedings continue in camera]