Evidence of meeting #1 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 41st Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was agreed.
A recording is available from Parliament.
The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Miriam Burke
Honourable members of the committee, I see a quorum. We can now proceed to the election of a 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 election of the chair.
Ms. Brown.
The Clerk
Are there any further motions?
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
The Clerk
I declare the motion carried and Mr. Allison duly elected chair of the committee.
Before inviting the chair to take the chair, if the committee wishes, we will now proceed to the election of the vice-chairs.
Mr. Goldring.
The Clerk
It has been moved by Mr. Goldring that Mr. Dewar be elected as first vice-chair of the committee.
Are there any further motions?
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
The Clerk
I declare the motion carried and Mr. Dewar 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'm now prepared to receive a motion for the second vice-chair.
Mr. Anderson.
Conservative
The Clerk
It has been moved by Mr. Anderson that Mr. Garneau be elected as second vice-chair of the committee.
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
The Clerk
I declare the motion carried and Mr. Garneau duly elected second vice-chair of the committee.
I now invite Mr. Allison to take the chair.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Thank you, everyone.
What we do need, though, is unanimous consent to look at routine motions today. I thought what we would do is get the routine motions out of the way and then end the meeting, and we'll come back on Tuesday to discuss committee business.
Do I have unanimous consent to look at routine motions today?
Okay. Then what we'll do is pass those out. Let's look at trying to get these settled for today. Then we'll finish the meeting if we can do that.
Mr. Garneau, do you have a copy?
We'll take these one by one. We'll start on the first page. The first routine motion is:
That the Committee retain, as needed and at the discretion of the Chair, the services of one or more analysts from the Library of Parliament to assist it in its work.
(Motion agreed to)
Come on up and join us at the table.
Number two is:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be established and be composed of five (5) members; the Chair, the two Vice-Chairs and two Parliamentary Secretaries.
(Motion agreed to)
The third one is:
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 (3) 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.
Is that all right? Are there any concerns with that?
(Motion agreed to)
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
All right.
The fourth motion is:
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 seven (7) minutes for the first questioner of each party as follows: Round 1: New Democratic Party, Conservative Party, Liberal Party; and that thereafter five (5) minutes be allocated to each subsequent questioner as follows: Round 2: Conservative Party, New Democratic Party, Conservative Party; Round 3: Conservative Party, New Democratic Party, Conservative Party; Round 4: New Democratic Party, Conservative Party.
It is the same as it has been.
(Motion agreed to)
The fifth motion is:
That the Clerk of the Committee be authorized to distribute documents to the members of the Committee only when the documents are available in both official languages and that witnesses be advised accordingly.
(Motion agreed to)
The next motion is on meals:
That the Clerk of the Committee be authorized to make the necessary arrangements to provide working meals for the Committee and its Subcommittees.
There won't be many working meals at 3:30, I can assure you of that, so we'll be pretty safe this time around.
(Motion agreed to)
The next motion is on travel:
That, if requested, reasonable travel, accommodation and living expenses be reimbursed to witnesses not exceeding two (2) representatives per organization; provided that, in exceptional circumstances, payment for more representatives be made at the discretion of the Chair.
Any comments on that?
(Motion agreed to)
The next motion is on in camera meetings:
That, unless otherwise ordered, each Committee member be allowed to have one staff at an in camera meeting and that one additional person from each party be allowed to be present.
I'm assuming that would be from the whip's office.
(Motion agreed to)
Thank you very much.
The ninth motion is also on in camera meetings:
That one copy of the transcript of each in camera meeting be kept in the Committee Clerk’s office for consultation by members of the Committee or by their staff.
Any comments?
(Motion agreed to)
The next motion is on notice for motions:
That forty-eight (48) hours’ notice be required for any substantive motion to be considered by the Committee, unless the substantive motion relates directly to business then under consideration; and that the notice of motion be filed with the Clerk of the Committee and distributed to members in both official languages.
That, for motions requiring forty-eight (48) hours’ notice, the Chair be authorized to defer consideration until fifteen (15) minutes prior to the adjournment time for the meeting as indicated in the notice of the meeting, and that these motions be received no later than 4 p.m.
Any comments?
(Motion agreed to)
This motion concerns gifts:
That the Committee be authorized to purchase gifts to be presented to foreign hosts and visiting delegations.
(Motion agreed to)
The next motion is on documents:
That the Committee be authorized to purchase documents for the use of the Committee.
(Motion agreed to)
The last motion is regarding the subcommittee:
That, pursuant to Standing Orders 108(1) and 108(2), a Subcommittee on International Human Rights to be chaired by a member elected by the Subcommittee, be established to inquire into matters relating to the promotion of respect for international human rights, as may be referred to it by the Committee;
That the Subcommittee be composed of seven (7) members or associate members of which four (4) shall be government members, two (2) shall be New Democratic Party members, and one (1) from the Liberal Party, to be named following the usual consultations with the Whips;
That the Subcommittee be empowered to send for persons, papers and records, to receive evidence, to sit during a time when the Committee is not sitting in Ottawa, to sit when the Committee is sitting outside the Parliamentary Precinct and to sit during periods when the House stands adjourned; and
That the Chair of the Subcommittee meet with the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Committee at their mutual discretion.
I have a draft motion here:
That, pursuant to Standing Orders 108(1) and 108(2), a Subcommittee on International Human Rights to be chaired by a member elected by the Subcommittee, be established to inquire into matters relating to the promotion of respect for international human rights;
That the Subcommittee be composed of seven (7) members or associate members of the committee of which three (3) shall be government members and two (2) shall be New Democratic Party members, and one (1) shall be from the Liberal Party, to be named following the usual consultations with the Whips;
That the Subcommittee be delegated all the powers of the committee, except the power to report directly to the House, including the power to sit during periods when the House stands adjourned.
That's what I have for—
NDP
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Mr. Chair, we would support the previous routine motion. I'm familiar with the changes here, and we would be prepared to support what was in place before.
Conservative
