Evidence of meeting #12 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was list.
12:45 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
I'm sorry, but I don't think you have the power to decide on your own. We have to make a decision here at the committee.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Goodyear
Okay, I'm happy to do that. But it's either that the meeting tonight is on, or the meeting is off. It's not like we can choose another time.
I'll put that to the group. That's fair to me. Does the committee agree to allow the meeting to be held tonight?
Is there more discussion on this point?
Mr. Guimond.
12:45 p.m.
Bloc
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Mr. Chairman, I would like to start by congratulating you. I sincerely want to tell you — and don't worry, I'm not trying to butter you up before attacking you — that the way in which you are fulfilling your duties as chair is excellent.
I would like to make a comment that will certainly not sit well with my Liberal colleagues. I have been on this committee since the year 2000 and there is no comparison between the way Derek Lee managed or presided this committee and your own. I congratulate you.
However, we want the rules to be fair.
It is perhaps your enthusiasm and your desire to get this through that led you to set the time of the meeting unilaterally. We assume that you acted in good faith. I do not believe that you are acting in bad faith, but we need to consult each other about our availability. I am meeting with my colleague, the government whip, and the other whips, and Mr. Hill is supposed to check whether we are available at the proposed time. If we are not, we try to set something else up.
The time of the meeting is in conflict with other commitments that I have made. I can always get a replacement, but I try to attend as many meetings as possible. You should be checking whether or not we are available.
I would like to emphasize one thing. I hope that no one on the government side thinks that my comments are some sort of obstruction tactics. On the contrary, we want to see legislative changes. Last week, I asked Mr. Hill a question, and he told me that there is a will to achieve concrete legislative changes before the next election. So I certainly do not want to obstruct the committee's work. However, please check our availability.
I would like to end with a brief comment. The clerk will be able to tell you that there are 22 committee rooms on Parliament Hill. The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs does not have to meet in Room 112-N of the Centre Block. In the past, we have met in Room 701 of the La Promenade Building and in the West Block. There is no requirement for us to meet here. It is true that it is more convenient for the whips.
So I would ask you to check whether or not we are available and to not make unilateral decisions about the time of meetings.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Goodyear
Since the committee already agreed that we would try to get a report done by the end of this session and have extra meetings, I took it upon myself to call a meeting and look for rooms that were available. These are the times that are available.
I am open to the committee. It was my thought to move forward with the meeting tonight and have a general discussion. Mr. Guimond is absolutely correct that it is imperative to have the members here for that next discussion who were here with Mr. Kingsley. So I will leave it to the committee right now to make a decision.
We will make every attempt to find another room, but the chances of our finding a room and meeting everybody's schedule are pretty slim. So I recommend that we try to move forward with this meeting tonight, but I will submit to the will of the committee.
Is it the will of the committee that tonight's meeting be cancelled and we try to reschedule it?
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
Bloc
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Chairman, I believe that the Privacy Commissioner will be paying us a visit tomorrow. Is that correct?
12:50 p.m.
Bloc
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
The meeting is scheduled to last from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., I believe. In my view, it should not be that long. Could we not make better use of the time if we allow 45 minutes to an hour for the Commissioner, we could then work on the report, even if that meant sitting a half hour or an hour more, going until 7 p.m. instead of 6 p.m.?
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Goodyear
Again, that's a very good point. Thank you very much, Madame Picard. I think I'm the only one who's able to make tonight's meeting.
Would it be better to move this meeting from tonight to tomorrow at 3:30? At least four members can make that, including me. Are there any members from the official opposition?
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Goodyear
You are amazing.
What about the government side?
Mr. Godin, you are available. I'm going to call your staff and make sure you're available after all this trouble, my friend. Then I'm going to suggest--
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Goodyear
It will be from 3:30 until 7. I was even going to buy you guys dinner tonight.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Goodyear
You're an amazing man.
We're negotiating now. Is it the will of the committee that we cancel tonight's meeting and put the agenda to tomorrow from 3:30 to 7, and just hope the members can stay as late as we can?
I think we can do it. This is a very energetic committee and we're very focused.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Goodyear
Seeing the will of the committee, that's what we will do, then.
Tonight's meeting is off. Tomorrow we'll meet from 3:30 to 6:30. Do I hear 3:30 to 6:45? Do I hear 6:45...? Do I hear...?
12:55 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Goodyear
All right, we'll try to get it done before 6:30.
Monsieur Guimond brought up the issue of the meetings from now on being in public versus in camera. My concern with that is simply that we are in the draft stage of a report at this point; that's the only comment I want to make.
Are there any other comments?
Marcel, please.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Even if we're in a draft situation, let's call it, we're having discussions and exchanging views on subjects. Even if these are public, they won't cause us any prejudice. There are discussions and then we come to a decision, and that's what's going to be in the draft report. So unless somebody has objections to letting their honest comments be known, I can't see why we couldn't do this in public, sir.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
12:55 p.m.
An hon. member
I'd be comfortable.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Goodyear
It appears there are lots of nods. Then that's what we will do. The meetings from now on will be in public.
We'll use Thursday's meeting to discuss the first rough draft of the report.
I would like to thank everybody for their tireless efforts in getting this done. We've done a lot of work on this committee. I am very proud of the committee's work. And hopefully we will get the report done.
Are there any further comments?
