Evidence of meeting #1 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:05 a.m.
NDP
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Yes, most definitely: 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 three members are present, including a member of the opposition and a member of the government, but when travelling outside the parliamentary precinct, that the meeting begin after 15 minutes, regardless of members present.
Can we have someone move that?
Okay, Mr. Dechert.
(Motion agreed to)
The next one we're going to look at says that witnesses be given ten minutes to make their opening statement; that, at the discretion of the chair, during the questioning of witnesses, there be allocated ten minutes for the first questioner of each party when a minister appears before the committee and seven minutes for the other meetings; and that thereafter five minutes be allocated to each subsequent questioner, alternating between government and opposition parties.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Mr. Chair, I'd like to propose a different proviso for rounds of questioning. I'd like to suggest that round one--
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
9:10 a.m.
A voice
I'll give you mine, Chair.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
What I would like to propose for rounds of questions is as follows. For round one, it would be the government for seven minutes, the NDP for seven minutes, and the Liberals for seven minutes. For round two, it would be the government for five minutes, the NDP for five minutes, and the government for five minutes. Round three would be the government for five minutes, the NDP for five minutes, and the government for five minutes. Round four would be the government for five minutes and the NDP for five minutes.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Okay. That is the proposal. That's the motion.
Is there any discussion?
Mr. Dewar.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
Going back to past practice, certainly round one typically was for opposition. I put that out there as perhaps a suggestion for a change.
For round three, I see where we have the government, the opposition, and the government. Round four goes to the government and then the opposition. So what you have, in effect, if time permits, is back-to-back government in rounds three and four.
If you're not open to a suggestion of changing round one, which I will leave to you.... You're open...?
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
Perhaps we could look at the change to rounds three and four, back to back. Instead of having government and government, we'd have government and opposition.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Are you suggesting that for round four we switch the NDP and the government as a possible solution?
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
I have two suggestions. One is to have the opposition first in round one, as was past practice, when we did this before, Chair. Round four would just flip between opposition and government.
9:15 a.m.
Conservative
9:15 a.m.
Liberal
Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB
Mr. Chair, perhaps the clerk or somebody else can answer this. When Mr. Dechert read his motion, it's obvious that in the normal rotation--assuming everybody uses his or her time--there would be one opportunity for the Liberal member to question. In the previous committee, did the NDP routinely get two rounds of questioning, or were they restricted to only one as well?
9:15 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
They had one, and if there was time, we always tried to accommodate.
9:15 a.m.
Liberal
Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB
But in the motions that were passed at similar meetings like this, in the original rotation they had one slot, and then if there was time at the end....
9:15 a.m.
Conservative
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Mr. Chair, I'd just like to advise that I'm prepared to accept Mr. Dewar's recommendation on round four, to switch the order to have the NDP go first and the government go second.
9:15 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
What about round one? So you're suggesting switching the NDP and the Conservatives?
9:15 a.m.
Conservative