Evidence of meeting #1 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was steckle.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
If I could just stop you, Mr. Bellavance, you're actually on to a different issue. We actually haven't covered this, that in in camera meetings we be allowed one staffer in the room. That's what you're speaking to. That motion isn't on our list, but we can certainly add it.
The motion we're on to now is establishing a subcommittee on agenda and procedure. But we can certainly go back if you would like. So you want to introduce a motion.
Bloc
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
I'm sorry, but it was my understanding that we would be reviewing certain items and that the clerk had informed you of the topics I wished to discuss.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
All right. You're returning to the in camera meetings motion that we accepted, the second paragraph of that. That's fine. Do we have unanimous consent to return to that motion?
Bloc
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
I merely wanted to draw your attention to the fact that they are all accompanied by staff persons, and I don't have a problem with that, but occasionally they may be accompanied by staff from the whip's or from a minister's office, in the case of a government member. I don't see that as being a problem and I think all parties could benefit from the presence of such individuals.
For example, for one reason or another, I could ask a staff person from the whip's office to accompany me, instead of my assistant. Perhaps the wording of the French version of the motion could be amended slightly to read as follows: “Que, à moins qu'il en soit ordonné autrement, chaque membre du Comité soit autorisé à être accompagné d'un membre du personnel du parti aux séances à huis clos”.
All parties, not just the Bloc Québécois, would stand to benefit from this amendment.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
I understand we have a bit of discrepancy between the English and the French. If we clean it up to your specifications we should be okay. The English basically reads “one staff person”, and you would take that to be one of your own staff persons. Someone from the whip's office is not your staff person. There's a discrepancy in the French translation, I understand. Your concern is that you don't want someone from a government office or agency, as opposed to an actual staff member of, say, Mr. Anderson.
Conservative
Conservative
Bloc
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
I'd like to have the option of being accompanied by a party staff person. I have no objection to Mr. Anderson being accompanied by a member of his staff or by a member of the minister's staff. This had never posed a problem on another committee on which I served. However, right in the middle of the session, someone objected to the fact that the individual wasn't a staff person in...
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Your concern is with the number. One is okay. The problem is you want to be able to pick who that one is.
Does anyone have a concern with that?
Mr. Miller.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
I don't have any concern with it. I know myself I'm not going to be bringing anybody other than my own staffer. But if somebody wants to do that, it's up to them. Keep the number at one.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I'm okay with that. I think there may be a translation problem because the English does say to have one staff person. It doesn't designate that it has to be your own. It might be just a change in the translation on the French side that would allow that.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Rather than one of their own staff, it should just read “one staff person”, unless you have an amendment.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Do you have a specific amendment, Mr. Bellavance, or would just the translation change be okay with you so that it says “one staff person” and you designate who it is?
Bloc
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
That's right. If the French version is identical to the English version, then we don't have a problem.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Okay.
The clerk will read it back, Mr. Bellavance. I'll have the clerk read it back to you with the proposed change that you're thinking of, and you see if you're okay with it.
The Clerk
So then, if I understand correctly, you would like the French version of the motion to be amended to read as follows: “Que, à moins qu'il en soit ordonné autrement, chaque membre du Comité soit autorisé à être accompagné d'un membre du personnel du parti aux séances à huis clos”. Is that satisfactory to you?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Are there any other concerns on that particular motion? Are we okay with the French amendment for Mr. Bellavance?
Mr. Bellavance, will you move that amendment?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
It is so moved by Mr. Bellavance.
(Amendment agreed to)
(Motion agreed to)
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Good. We've cleaned that up.
We're back to page 1, the second section, a motion establishing a subcommittee on agenda and procedure. There is a work-up underneath that. We actually didn't use that last time around; we used the committee as a whole. You can correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Steckle. Last time around for planning an agenda committee we used the committee as a whole, but this particular motion calls for a subcommittee on agenda and procedure to be composed of the chair, two vice-chairs, and a member of the other opposition party. Are we working that way now? We'll have some discussion on that.
Mr. Steckle.