As am I.
Evidence of meeting #1 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 39th 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.
Evidence of meeting #1 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 39th 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.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Barry Devolin
Okay.
All in favour of Ms. Crowder's motion to insert 48 hours in that clause?
(Motion agreed to)
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
I would like to bring forward another motion, and this is in relation to the section “Staff at in camera meetings”. We would like to propose that on top of each one of the committee members having one staff person available to attend in camera meetings, each party be able to designate an additional one person to be at in camera meetings, because in the past we've seen times when some of our staff who are involved with committee meetings are unable to be present. I know the Bloc and the NDP share common staff, and I hope this would be agreeable to all parties.
That's the motion I'm making, a minor change to this section on “Staff at in camera meetings”.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Barry Devolin
It is my understanding, under the rule as it's currently written, that if there was an in camera meeting, no staff member, even from the whip's office, could come into the room. And you're suggesting that be changed to say one staff member plus one additional party staff person?
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
Correct--that each party be able to designate one additional person who may or may not be a committee member's staff.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Chair, part of the reason this became so important was that when we went in camera there was often mass confusion about who should be in the room and who should be out of the room. To simplify it, we agreed to reduce it to one staff member per one committee member so there was some coherence around it.
I don't see any real reason.... If the opposition decided to choose a staff member from the whip's office, that would be within their purview, but for us to add additional members doesn't seem reasonable.
November 13th, 2007 / 3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Chris Warkentin Conservative Peace River, AB
Mr. Chair, could I get clarification as to how it's currently written? My understanding is that currently the only people available to them during in camera meetings are the staff who are hired by the offices. My understanding is that currently there is no provision for party staff or staff from other offices to attend with members.
Could I get some clarification on that? I believe that would be helpful, because I think, as Ms. Crowder pointed out, if we can trade, that may work to facilitate an end to a means. If I could just get some assurance on that front, that would be helpful.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Barry Devolin
It is written, “each committee member be allowed to be accompanied by one staff member at an in camera meeting”. I don't read it to say “accompanied by one of their staff”--
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Barry Devolin
So if you were to bring another staff person from another office with you, depending on the issue, you would be restricted to one staff member per caucus member in the room.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Barry Devolin
And just so I understand, if there are four Conservatives here and they have four staff members there and someone comes from the whip's office, that person is not allowed in the room.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Chris Warkentin Conservative Peace River, AB
And they can trade off, then, with other staff members. Okay. Very good.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Barry Devolin
There's a motion on the floor that an amendment be made such that the paragraph would read: that, unless otherwise ordered, each committee member be allowed to be accompanied by one staff member at an in camera meeting, and additionally, each party would be allowed one staff member in that meeting.
All in favour...?
3:50 p.m.
Some hon. members
No.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Barry Devolin
Well, I think this is going to be voted down. I was just trying....
Mr. Lemay.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Mr. Chair, with all due respect, I have to explain something to you. We have interpretation here, and very often we have to wait for them to finish so that we can understand what was said. I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Bruinooge; did I understand his proposal correctly? Let us take Ms. Crowder. If there was a meeting in camera, she would be able to have someone from her staff, plus someone from her party. That is how I understand the proposal. So we in the Bloc would each have the right to have one person, as at present, plus someone from our party. If that is the proposal, we agree. I wanted to make sure that I had understood it.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Barry Devolin
It is my understanding that Mr. Bruinooge is saying one staff member per caucus member, plus one additional person from the party.
Ms. Crowder.