Evidence of meeting #1 for Bill C-20 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was staff.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Thank you, Chair.
Just for the record, we have no difficulty with Mr. Martin's motion for 24 hours. If the vote is for 48 hours, we'll live with that as well, but 24 hours is not a problem.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Albina Guarnieri
Are there any other comments or observations? Seeing none, I guess we'll vote on the 48 hours. We have a subamendment, right? We have an amendment to the amendment.
We have to vote on the 48 hours first. All those in favour of 48 hours?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Albina Guarnieri
That's defeated.
I guess we have to vote on the 24 hours. We're voting in favour of 24 hours.
(Motion agreed to)
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Albina Guarnieri
The next motion before us is on rounds of questioning. The clerk has been kind enough to provide us with three different examples of rounds of questioning. Is there a preference?
Mr. Murphy.
Liberal
Brian Murphy Liberal Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB
I would look at some of these legislative committees...and even though I'm relatively new here, it seems I was on most of those, and they seem to have worked pretty well. I don't think other members of this committee have been on some of those committees. The first one seems to be a good way of questioning. It sets out how the legislative committees on Bill C-2, the second Bill C-2, Bill C-27, and so on worked. They seemed to work well. I have no argument with them, and I would therefore propose example A by way of a motion.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
I have to admit I'm not a big fan of that one. I've been on committees where that's done too.
The way it works here is that on the first round it's one for each party, and on the second round it goes opposition, government, another opposition party, government. Is that essentially the idea?
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
Right, the first round is one from each party, and the second and all others....
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
On the second round it's not one speaker from each party; it's actually that the government is going to get every second question. Is that correct?
Liberal
Bloc
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
It is seven minutes for all parties, including the government, but the opposition parties ask the first three questions. Then we alternate between the government and the opposition parties. I imagine that it would be the Liberals first, then the Conservatives, the Bloc, the Conservatives and then the NDP.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Albina Guarnieri
That is correct.
Is there any further discussion?
We're voting on the first motion. Do we have agreement on A?
(Motion agreed to)
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Albina Guarnieri
The other business at hand is how many times a week the committee actually wants to meet.
Madame Guay.
Bloc
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
I for one sit on three committees, no, four committees. So I suggest that we meet once a week. That would be reasonable. It should not be a Tuesday or a Thursday. We should find another time because committees often sit then. It could be Monday or Tuesday, we will see. I move that we meet once a week.
Bloc
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
Ms. Guay and I—and I feel that other members are in the same situation—are also often called to sit on the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. We should really make sure that this committee does not have the same schedule as the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, which is Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We are open to the idea of meeting on Tuesday or Thursday, but we think that it would be better to avoid a scheduling conflict with the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Albina Guarnieri
In an attempt to be helpful, the clerk has checked which committees we serve on. The days that seem to be free are Monday and Wednesday. My understanding is that this inconveniences only one member on this committee.
So is it the will of the committee to meet once or twice a week?
Liberal