Evidence of meeting #1 for Bill C-35 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bernard Patry
First of all, I have an amendment by Mr. Moore asking to include one member of the government side. Are we agreed on this?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bernard Patry
We all agree.
I now have a motion by Mr. Ménard asking that three members be changed to five members.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bernard Patry
I'm not included in the quorum, but it's my job to be here. It's five, plus me, which makes six.
Liberal
Bloc
Bloc
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga, QC
He is not considered as a member of the committee; five members of the committee must be present.
Liberal
Derek Lee Liberal Scarborough—Rouge River, ON
This is getting very close to the absurd, Monsieur Ménard. The regular quorum for this committee is seven.
Liberal
Derek Lee Liberal Scarborough—Rouge River, ON
It's seven. You are urging us to make an amendment that would have a reduced quorum involving a total of six.
It's not much of a reduction, but I'm not going to argue anymore. Whatever your reasons are, I'm going to stand down and let the chair...[Inaudible--Editor]
Conservative
Art Hanger Conservative Calgary Northeast, AB
The regular quorum is seven. Why would we want to go outside the regular quorum?
Liberal
Derek Lee Liberal Scarborough—Rouge River, ON
When members don't show up and witnesses do, it allows us to have a meeting. It's only for hearing evidence.
Conservative
Art Hanger Conservative Calgary Northeast, AB
I understand. There are twelve of us sitting here, so there's nothing wrong with seven.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bernard Patry
I think if you go to seven you will have problems, because you're already sitting on the justice committee and that's a heavy committee. I just want to let you know that.
To hear witnesses, it's less than seven out of twelve. Usually the seven out of twelve is to be sure you can vote on some of the articles. In my opinion we can do seven, but five is the minimum we should accept.
We have a motion for five at the minimum, with one from the governing party. Is it agreed?
Bloc
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga, QC
There will be three members of the opposition and two of the government.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bernard Patry
We didn't say that. It's five members, and there needs to be at least one member of the opposition and one member of the government. If they're coming four and one, we're going to start--that's the rule.
Conservative
Daniel Petit Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
There absolutely must be someone from the government—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bernard Patry
—and one person from the opposition.
If we have three and two, there will be too many problems.
On speaking time, witnesses will be given ten minutes to make their opening statements. At the discretion of the chair, during the questioning of witnesses there will be allocated seven minutes for the first questioner of each party, starting with the opposition parties. Thereafter, five minutes will be allocated to each subsequent questioner, alternating between opposition parties and government. Agreed?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bernard Patry
The next motion is on witnesses' expenses that are requested for reasonable travel. Agreed?
