Evidence of meeting #2 for Official Languages in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was meeting.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
5:25 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
The following is what I am proposing:
That whenever an Order in Council appointment or a certificate of nomination for appointment is referred to the Committee, the Clerk, pursuant to Standing Order 111(4), shall obtain a copy of corresponding curriculum vitae for distribution to all Members of the Committee.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
We have a motion in front of us concerning nominations. Is there any debate on this motion?
Mr. Williamson.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
Mr. Godin, are you saying that you would like to have the curriculum vitae after the appointment? That would certainly be after an order in council appointment. In any case, we can invite the appointed person to appear before us to answer questions about their curriculum vitae. I don't understand why you want to have that, as well.
5:25 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
We don't want to ask for that person's curriculum vitae when they are here; we want to have it beforehand.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
The chair could ask appointees to send us their curriculum vitae when he invites them.
5:25 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
If the procedure is already established, the clerk would do that in advance. We should clarify this with him. Currently, the clerk does not have to request the document ahead of time. We have to remember to do it.
When an order in council appointment or a certificate of nomination for appointment is referred to the committee, the clerk knows it. By adopting this motion, we would make sure that the clerk would ask an appointee in advance to send him their curriculum vitae. That way, when the individual appears before the committee, we would have already read their curriculum vitae and would be able to do our work.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Lise St-Denis Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
My apologies, but I don't really understand. What appointment are you talking about?
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
We are talking about an order in council appointment.
We need to deal with an order in council nomination. Whenever the cabinet makes an order in council nomination and it concerns this committee, we are notified by the minister's office of the nomination. The committee, under Standing Order 111, has the option to call that nominated candidate in front of the committee for questioning.
Would any other committee members like to debate this motion?
Mr. Gourde, the floor is yours.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
I am not sure I understand why Mr. Godin wants to move this motion. The committee can always ask its guests for their curriculum vitae, without exception.
So I will vote against this motion, Mr. Chair.
5:25 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
I don't understand why we have to ask for it every time. The motion only aims to make it so we no longer have to ask every time. It's normal for the work to be done automatically prior to the person's appearance before the committee. That way, we won't have to repeat that we want their curriculum vitae to be distributed to everyone. I think that every member will want to have it, including you.
The idea here is to work together. We are not proposing much in this motion. We just want to have information on individuals who will be appearing before us. If you are not prepared to vote in favour of that, then don't. However, we are not asking for much. We simply want to give our clerk the authorization to provide us with the curriculum vitae of the individuals who are invited to appear. That way, we will arrive here prepared and ready to work. That's what we want, and that's what you want, as well. You will not always be a member of the government, you know.
5:25 p.m.
NDP
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Lise St-Denis Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
People's biographies are on the Internet. I have always checked on the Internet who the guests invited to appear are.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Look, under Standing Order 111, there's the right of the committee to demand a resumé. We're making it explicit in our routine motions, but the committee already has the right to demand a curriculum vitae from anybody. If a member of the committee asks for it, the chair, through the clerk, will get that resumé.
We only have a minute left. Is there any further debate this motion?
Seeing none, I'll call the question on this motion. A recorded vote has been requested. I'll pass the floor to the clerk for a recorded vote.
(Motion negatived: nays 7; yeas 4)
Before I adjourn the meeting, I just want to let members know that we will have a meeting on Wednesday at which we will consider any remaining routine motions and also plan for future business.
This meeting is adjourned.
