Evidence of meeting #1 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Okay.
Are we good with the last routine motion?
(Motion agreed to)
Chair
Thank you, by the way, for signalling verbally. It's hard to keep track of whether a hand is up. Thank you.
Go ahead, Ms. Collins.
NDP
December 14th, 2021 / 11:45 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Perhaps I can first take a moment to say that we passed the motion for the analysts to be named to their positions. We passed the routine motion for working meals. I would now like to invite the analysts to take their seats.
Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't see you. This going to take some getting used to.
There's an analyst at home, I think.
Natacha, it's nice to see you again. How are you? It's good to see you.
We have two analysts at the moment.
With regard to working meals, I would like to advise members to send any dietary restrictions they may have.
Go ahead, Ms. Collins.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
The motion is that, when it comes to the makeup of witness panels during studies, each party represented on the committee be entitled to select one witness per panel; that if no witness is designated by a party a decision be made by the clerk, after consultation with the chair; that this motion not apply when ministers or government officials appear before committee; and that, where there are circumstances where this condition cannot be met, the chair and the clerk consult with members of the subcommittee to finalize the makeup of the panel.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Okay.
It's nice to see you, Alison. I'm sorry. You were just a little blocked out on the screen.
Who would like to speak to that? Would anyone like to speak to that?
Go ahead, Mr. Longfield.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
It seems to me that there will be many cases where we're all in agreement on witnesses. At that point, how do you determine which party that witness is here representing? Generally speaking, the witness list is provided for and by all parties. The clerk does the panels based on availability at the time. Some witnesses from some parties may or may not be able to attend. I think this puts some constraints on the clerks to be able to do their jobs.
In terms of the questioning, we all have an opportunity to question the witnesses from our own policy platforms or from our own constituencies. I think we're hand-tying the clerk on this one. I would prefer to work on the witness lists prior to the meetings to make sure that we all have a chance to get the witnesses we would like to see on the list. Then it's up to the clerk to try to get them to the meetings for us.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
I'm looking at the screen and the table. Does anyone have their hand up here?
Ms. Collins, is your hand back up?
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Really, the intention behind this motion is to allow us to create witness panels where each party has representation and witnesses on each panel. It means that our committee meetings I think will be better served. We'll have a diversity of opinion.
Oftentimes in the last Parliament there were witness panels that were completely composed of witnesses that one or two parties had suggested. It makes for, I think, less helpful hours of committee—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Before I give the mike to Mr. Duguid, I will say this by way of background.
When it came to witness panels, I was always working with the clerk and telling the clerk to please have the panels represent the breakdown of the parties in the House. There was a conscious effort made to make sure that everyone was fairly represented. In many cases, in fact, the opposition witnesses were more prominent. In many cases, we kept trying for certain witnesses and they just weren't responding or....
Obviously, the committee will decide, but I am a little concerned that it will slow down the whole process of putting panels together, which sometimes can be a last-minute exercise.
I just want to assure you, Ms. Collins, that working with the clerk, we always wanted to make sure that, if anything, the opposition witnesses were overrepresented. We didn't want to be accused of not taking into account their wishes.
Mr. Duguid.
Liberal
Terry Duguid Liberal Winnipeg South, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thanks, Ms. Collins, for that suggestion.
It went by me, I must admit, Mr. Chair, pretty quickly. I wouldn't mind seeing it in writing. That's one issue. Might this be an issue that is referred to the steering committee so that you could have a conversation and just see whether it is something you can recommend to the overall committee?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Ms. Collins, would you be amenable to submitting it in writing so that we can discuss it at the—
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
I have submitted it in writing to the clerk, if you want to email it around so that people can have it.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Okay, and we'll discuss it at the steering committee, which you'll be on.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
No, I would not be amenable to that. I would love to pass this here at committee today.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Are there any other comments?
We'll proceed to a vote, I guess. I haven't done this for a while.
Liberal
