Environment Committee on Oct. 8th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Yes.

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

The motion is defeated, so the steering committee stays.

Mr. Longfield, continue with the motion.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

That was an amendment. We now need to pass the main motion, which is:

That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be established and be composed of five (5) members; the chair, one member from each party; and that the subcommittee work in the spirt of collaboration.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I guess nobody is going to challenge that now.

(Motion agreed to)

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Okay. I'm just trying to be thorough.

On a meeting without a quorum, it states:

That the chair be authorized to hold meetings to receive evidence and to have that evidence printed when a quorum is not present, provided that at least four (4) members are present, including one member of the opposition and one member of the government, but when travelling outside the parliamentary precinct, that the meeting begin after fifteen (15) minutes, regardless of members present.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ms. Collins, did you have your hand up?

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Yes. I want to make an amendment to the section that begins “that at least four (4) members are present” and change it to “two members of the opposition and two members of the government”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Are there any questions or concerns?

Mr. Clerk, how should we proceed with that?

[The Clerk]

If there is unanimous consent, we can adopt it. If not, we do a recorded vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Do we have unanimous consent to adopt Ms. Collins's motion?

Madame Pauzé.

[The Clerk]

You do not consent, Ms. Pauzé?

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

I would ask my colleague to please repeat her proposal and also to present her arguments as I do not understand the reason for the amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

We can't hear you.

Ms. Pauzé, could you please speak into the mike? Thank you.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Is that better now?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Yes.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

All right.

I would like Ms. Collins to repeat her proposal and also to explain the reasons for this change.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Thank you.

The proposal is to amend the section that starts with “that at least four (4) members are present”. The section will change to “including two members of the opposition and two members of the government”.

In explanation, this is something that many committees have already done. There are a few committees that have “one member of the opposition and one member of the government”, but we need members from the opposition in order to have a meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Madame Pauzé, do you have any further questions?

Are you in favour of the proposal? I see that you are.

Do we have unanimous consent on changing it from what it is now to “two members of the opposition and two members of the government”? I need unanimous consent.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

(Motion as amended agreed to)

Go ahead, Mr. Longfield.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thank you.

This is with regard to the time for opening remarks and questioning of witnesses:

That witnesses be given ten (10) minutes for their opening statement; that, at the discretion of the chair, during the questioning of witnesses, there be allocated six (6) minutes for the first questioner of each party as follows: Round 1: 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 (5) minutes; Liberal Party, five (5) minutes; Conservative Party, five (5) minutes; Liberal Party, five (5) minutes; Bloc Québécois, two and a half (2.5) minutes; New Democratic Party, two and a half (2.5) minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ms. Collins.

Then, it will be Ms. Pauzé's turn.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I wanted to move an amendment—

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

There were—

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

You are speaking, Ms. Collins.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Oh, I'm sorry.