Environment Committee on Oct. 29th, 2013

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Christine Holke David]

Honourable members of the committee, I see a quorum.

I must inform members that the clerk of the committee can only receive motions for the election of the chair. The clerk cannot receive other types of motions, cannot entertain points of order, nor participate in debate.

We can now proceed to the election of the chair.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the government party.

I am ready to receive motions for the chair.

Mr. Aubin.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

I would like to nominate Mr. Albrecht, who will have the unanimous support of the representatives of my party, as chair of the committee.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Mr. Aubin that Mr. Albrecht be elected chair of the committee.

Are there any further motions?

Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mr. Albrecht the duly elected chair of the committee.

Before inviting Mr. Albrecht to take the chair, if the committee wishes, we will now proceed to the election of the vice-chairs.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the first vice-chair must be a member of the official opposition.

I am now ready to receive motions for the first vice-chair.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

I'd like to nominate Megan Leslie, please.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Mr. Carrie that Ms. Leslie be elected first vice-chair of the committee.

Are there any further motions?

Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried, and Ms. Leslie duly elected first vice-chair of the committee.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the second vice-chair must be a member of an opposition party other than the official opposition.

I am now prepared to receive a motion for the second vice-chair.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

I would like to nominate Mr. John McKay.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Mr. Woodworth that Mr. McKay be elected second vice-chair of the committee. Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mr. McKay duly elected second vice-chair of the committee.

I now invite Mr. Albrecht to take the chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Thanks, again, to my committee members for the confidence you've placed in me.

I think in the past session we had a very productive session and good collaboration from all sides. Some significant work was done tabling the report on urban conservation and getting the draft report, at least charged to get the draft report done. The committee will need to decide whether or not we re-table that.

I'm hopeful that we will continue with the very positive working relationship we've had in order to continue to improve the environment and sustainable development of our country. I think that's our goal, and I know we want to work together to achieve that.

Mr. Carrie.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

I just wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleague and the vice-chairs. For me, this is a new committee, but I'm looking forward to working with everyone around the table here. I think we will have an exciting fall. I look forward to working with everyone.

With that, I'd like to move to adjourn.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

There's a motion to adjourn.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Chair, I just wonder before we adjourn if you could give us an update or some advice about next week with the environment commissioner.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

I'm not sure I'll give you advice; I'll give you my thoughts.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

You can't give us advice; you can give us your thoughts.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

I'll give you my thoughts.

I was worried that I might not be elected chair, but I thought in case I'm not....

The environment commissioner will be tabling his report next Tuesday and we have not met as an agenda committee as of yet. My thoughts are if we could meet in the early part of next week, on Tuesday—there will be no meeting on Thursday because it's considered to be a Friday—to adopt the routine motions that are before us, to have our analysts join us and other routine motions that need to be taken care of, hopefully that won't take more than 15 or 20 minutes at the most. Then the agenda committee would move into session and begin to work on the following items for discussion. My thinking is that possibly we would invite the environment commissioner for the first hour on the following Thursday, so a week from this coming Thursday.

There is no meeting on Thursday because of it being considered as a Friday. Next Tuesday we would deal with routine motions. The agenda committee would set the agenda, but with the understanding that we would preempt possibly part of that by inviting the environment commissioner for the first hour of the following Thursday.

Those are my thoughts, but we do have a motion on the floor to adjourn.

Are we comfortable?

Megan.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

I like that idea. I have one question. I'd like to canvass people on what they think about moving our Tuesday meeting, where we would deal with routine motions, back by one hour. My understanding is the environment commissioner's press conference will be at 11. I would think that members would want to attend, and I don't think routine motions will take two hours.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

No, exactly. Are you suggesting meeting at 9?

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Move it back by an hour, so at noon.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

We'd meet at 12.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

We normally meet at 11, so we would move it to 12.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

I have no objection to that. Unless there's significant objection, we'll work informally on those arrangements.

Mr. McKay, go ahead. I just want to make sure we have a motion on the floor, so I'm giving you—

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

The concern I would have about that is that if he's having his lockup at 9 a.m. Is it 9 or 8?

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

It's 7:30 until 10.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

It's 7:30 until 10 on Tuesday, and then he's going to his press conference at 11. The likelihood is that after the press conference some of us might want to comment. That would pretty well make the whole 11 until 1 period a bit problematic. I don't like to lose a day, but it is kind of the environment day.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

I think we have two options: one is to move it later, and meet at 12; the other is to move it earlier, and meet while he's in the lockup.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

We're in the lockup.