Evidence of meeting #1 for Government Operations and Estimates 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.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pat Martin
Okay. Well, the clerk might want to speak to that.
Why don't you explain to the committee how practical that amendment would be before we continue?
9:40 a.m.
The Clerk
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In response to Mr. Wallace's comment, I have no objection. It will be my pleasure to send the notices of motion the same day they get to my office. That said, I wonder if we could agree on a deadline, from Monday to Friday. What if a motion is sent to me on a Tuesday evening at 9:15 p.m. when I'm home? I don't necessarily have access to my emails all the time. I wonder if the members of the committee could agree on a guideline that the deadline for sending the notice be 5:00 p.m., from Monday to Friday, for example. If the deadline is met, I will gladly send the notice of motion on the same day.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
9:45 a.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
So the idea is that it would have to be received by 4 o'clock, or 5 o'clock?
9:45 a.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pat Martin
Yes, let's say 4 o'clock. I think the mover of the amendment suggests 4 o'clock.
9:45 a.m.
The Clerk
From Monday to Friday?
9:45 a.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pat Martin
Yes, Monday to Friday, business days only.
I think that's reasonable, frankly.
Is there any further debate?
Peter.
9:45 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
This is just a question, Mr. Chair.
I have no difficulty with the intent of Mr. Wallace's motion. It makes sense that members of the committee know what the content of the motion is. What many committees have done, though, is they have filed a notice of motion in a committee meeting. A member who reads out that motion then is considered to be providing notice to members of the committee for consideration at the next committee meeting, thus meeting that 48-hour threshold.
I'm assuming this practice will continue in this committee.
9:45 a.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pat Martin
I don't think anything in this motion would change that ordinary practice. I think all of the committees on the Hill meet every second day, Tuesday to Thursday. If you submit your notice of motion today, by the time the next meeting is convened you will have satisfied the 48-hour notice. I think this is for the extraordinary ones, where you get an idea at 3:30 on a Friday afternoon, you fire it off to the clerk, and the rest of us don't get the advantage of knowing about it.
So I think that's reasonable. The motion, as amended by Mike, says that by 4 p.m. on the same day the motion is received, it be circulated to all committee members.
Is there any further debate?
(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
That does it for the pro forma rules or bylaws of our committee.
There's some interest now, while we're here--it's only ten minutes to ten--that we talk about future business. I might just introduce this reality that we're the first committee that's been convened by the House of Commons specifically to deal with the estimates. We have to give government the parliamentary approval to keep spending money over the summer recess. Therefore, they're only allowed to operate on Governor General warrants for 60 days after the writ has been dropped. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but that date is rapidly approaching.
The clerk has just reminded me, do you want to have this talk...? I think if we limit our talk to scheduling the meetings to deal with the estimates only, we can remain in public. If we want to talk about any future business, we might want to turn the cameras off and make this an in camera meeting.
How does the committee feel about that? Is there any interest in going in camera, or are we okay to keep this meeting public?
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
9:45 a.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pat Martin
We're only talking about the estimates, I think.
I think it would crazy for us to talk about--
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
Are we going to be talking about people we're going to invite and all that kind of stuff?
9:45 a.m.
An hon. member
Agreed.
9:45 a.m.
The Clerk
You will need to suspend the meeting before we switch to in camera.
9:45 a.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pat Martin
Yes.
Hey, I get to use my gavel for the first time.
This meeting is adjourned, the first meeting of the government operations committee--
June 9th, 2011 / 9:45 a.m.
The Clerk
Suspended.
9:45 a.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!