Afghanistan Committee on Dec. 13th, 2021

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

The next motion deals with time for opening remarks and questioning of witnesses. I move:

That witnesses be given five minutes for their opening statement; that whenever possible, witnesses provide the committee with their opening statement 72 hours in advance; that at the discretion of the Chair, during the questioning of witnesses, there be allocated six minutes for the first questioner of each party as follows for the first round: Conservative Party, Liberal Party, Bloc Québécois, New Democratic Party. For the second and subsequent rounds, the order and time for questioning be as follows: Conservative Party, five minutes; Liberal Party, five minutes; Bloc Québécois, two and a half minutes; New Democratic Party, two and a half minutes; Conservative Party, five minutes; Liberal Party, five minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Ms. Kwan, do you have a question?

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I do, Mr. Chair. I just want to see whether or not there is any appetite from committee members for the following. I know that in other committees, when we go to the second round, as we sort of wrap-up, oftentimes the chair would actually allow the Bloc and the NDP to have one last minute to round up the rotation.

I want to see whether or not there's appetite from committee members to follow that practice, which has been done at some other committees I've sat on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Is there any discussion on what Ms. Kwan has brought forward?

It is at the discretion of the chair. If every other party agrees, I don't see any issues.

Go ahead, Mr. El-Khoury.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to ask Ms. Kwan, if it's possible, what committee uses this practice?

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

In the last Parliament, it was the committee that I sat on as a substitute, actually. I was a deputy health critic. The health committee, for example, adopted that.

At the CIMM committee, we also went through rotations where the chair from that committee also engaged in that practice.

Those are two committees with which I have experience.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

I will recognize Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, and then I'll come back to the other speakers.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

I would like to add something.

In the Subcommittee on International Human Rights, speaking time in the second round is divided equally among all parties. I think that's even better, but that's not even what we are asking for here. Since the committee was created unanimously and the amendment and the motion were also passed unanimously, I think we can all be wise together and accept this proposal from the NDP.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Parliamentary Secretary Damoff, please go ahead.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

That's so formal.

In committees that I've sat on before, which were not those ones, it wasn't in the routine motions. However, the chair always did do that, and sometimes, if we were running out of time, he would shorten the time to three minutes per party.

There's lots of discretion for the chair to do that, and there's certainly the will to hear from all parties. I don't know that we actually need to amend the routine motion, but given the discretion the chair has, there's certainly a desire to hear from everybody when we have the time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Go ahead, Mrs. Zahid.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Ms. Kwan referred to the citizenship and immigration committee. We had nothing in the routine motion in regard to that. It is at the discretion of the chair, and we have full confidence in you that, based on the meeting and how much time is left, we will work collaboratively to see if there is a need.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Mr. Chong.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Thank you.

I think the principle of committee is the same as the principle in the House, which is that every member should have equal time, other than the chair, of course, to provide commentary or to ask questions of witnesses. There are four Conservative members of this committee and we only have three slots in the first 49 minutes of questions and comments from members. If you add to that five to 10 minutes of statements from witnesses at the opening, it means that in the first hour—we only have three of four slots—one of our members will be denied a slot in the first hour on this routine motion as it currently was agreed to by the whips. I don't support anything that would detract from the ability of my colleagues here to have time for questions or comments.

I note that the New Democratic Party has two slots as it stands in the routine motions, and the time allocated to the New Democratic Party, which is eight and a half minutes out of 49 minutes, is above their standing in the House of Commons. I don't think we should derivate or deviate from what has been proposed in the routine motions. The whips have agreed to it for a reason. It's fair to even the smaller parties in the House. In fact, it accords more time to the smaller recognized parties in the House than their standing would warrant. Any dilution beyond that means that our members here—and the Liberal members, frankly—get even less time for questions and comments at committee meetings.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you, honourable Mr. Chong.

I don't see a consensus.

Madam Kwan, do you want me to take a vote, or do you want to leave it to my discretion as chair?

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Chair, I would support leaving it to your discretion. I would certainly hope that we can follow the practice I've suggested.

I know, Mr. Chair, that you were also on the CIMM committee, so you would have seen how that was done previously as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you.

I will take the vote on the original motion proposed by Madam Zahid.

(Motion agreed to)

We will have the next motion, please.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

The next one is with regard to document distribution. I move:

That only the clerk of the committee be authorized to distribute documents to members of the Committee provided the documents are in both official languages, and that the witnesses be advised accordingly.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

We will have the next motion, please.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

It is on working meals. I move:

That the clerk of the committee, at the discretion of the Chair, be authorized to make the necessary arrangements to provide working meals for the committee and its subcommittees.

(Motion agreed to)

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

The next one is on travel, accommodation and living expenses of witnesses. I move:

That, if requested, reasonable travel, accommodation and living expenses be reimbursed to witnesses not exceeding two representatives per organization; and that in exceptional circumstances, payment for more representatives be made at the discretion of the Chair.

(Motion agreed to)

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Next is access to in camera meetings. I move:

That, unless otherwise ordered, each committee member be allowed to be accompanied by one staff member at in camera meetings and that one additional person from each House officer’s office be allowed to be present.

(Motion agreed to)

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

The next one is on transcripts of in camera meetings. I move:

That one copy of the transcript of each in camera meeting be kept in the committee clerk’s office for consultation by members of the committee or by their staff; and that the analysts assigned to the committee also have access to the in camera transcripts.

(Motion agreed to)

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

The next is on notice of motion. I move:

That a 48-hour notice, interpreted as two nights, be required for any substantive motion to be moved in committee, unless the substantive motion relates directly to business then under consideration, provided that: (a) the notice be filed with the clerk of the committee no later than 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday; (b) the motion be distributed to Members and the offices of the whips of each recognized party in both official languages by the clerk on the same day the said notice was transmitted if it was received no later than the deadline hour; (c) notices received after the deadline hour or on non-business days be deemed to have been received during the next business day; and that when the committee is holding meetings outside the Parliamentary Precinct, no substantive motion may be moved.

(Motion agreed to)

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

On orders of reference respecting bills, I move:

That in relation to orders of reference from the House respecting Bills,

(a) The clerk of the committee shall, upon the committee receiving such an order of reference, write to each member who is not a member of a caucus represented on the committee to invite those members to file with the clerk of the committee, in both official languages, any amendments to the bill, which is the subject of the said Order, which they would suggest that the committee consider;

(b) Suggested amendments filed, pursuant to paragraph (a), at least 48 hours prior to the start of clause-by-clause consideration of the bill to which the amendments relate shall be deemed to be proposed during the said consideration, provided that the committee may, by motion, vary this deadline in respect of a given bill; and

(c) During the clause-by-clause consideration of a bill, the Chair shall allow a member who filed suggested amendments, pursuant to paragraph (a), an opportunity to make brief representations in support of them.

(Motion agreed to)