Government Operations Committee on Feb. 5th, 2013

[The Chair, NDP, Pat Martin]

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We will convene our meeting.

First of all, I'd like to welcome everyone back after our recess. You'll notice some changes around the table and also some changes at the front here as well.

Lindsay and Tina Lise, our wonderful analysts, have moved on to other challenges. We're joined now by Raphaelle Deraspe and Philippe LeGoff. You may recognize Philippe from being around for quite a while, and Raphaelle comes to us from the health committee.

We have a couple of new faces as well on the committee, a few stand-ins and a few permanent replacements.

Dan Albas will be a permanent fixture on the committee now.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

I hope to do a good job, sir.

[The Chair, NDP, Pat Martin]

You are absolutely welcome here. We have a lot of fun at our committee.

[Bernard Trottier, Conservative, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Could I mention he was voted the wine man of the year, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, NDP, Pat Martin]

I know. He's the right guy to have on a committee. He brings the beverages. That's great.

There's also the change that Mike Wallace, an outstanding fixture of our committee and a good friend, has moved on to other challenges as well.

The first item of business today while we're in public will be to elect a new vice-chair.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

We also have a new member on our side.

[The Chair, NDP, Pat Martin]

I'm sorry. Of course, Mathieu Ravignat, who has been a welcome guest here often and is the critic for Treasury Board for the official opposition, will now be a permanent member of this committee.

[Mathieu Ravignat, NDP, Pontiac, QC]

I'm clearly an OGGO addict.

[The Chair, NDP, Pat Martin]

An OGGO addict, he follows us from afar. Now he's around the table.

John McCallum is still on the committee, but can't be with us today, so Sean is sitting in for John.

For the first item of business, I'm going to hand the chair over to the clerk. The clerk will undertake the election of a new vice-chair for the government side.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Marc-Olivier Girard]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to remind all the members that, pursuant to the Standing Orders, the first vice-chair of the committee must be a member of the government party.

I'm now prepared to receive motions that you might have for the first vice-chair position.

Ms. Duncan.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I would like to nominate Peter Braid.

[The Clerk]

Ms. Duncan has proposed that Peter Braid be elected first vice-chair of the committee.

Are there any further motions?

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

If I could speak to my motion, I would just say that I've worked previously with Peter Braid, and he was very convivial and cooperative, and I think he would be a great vice-chair.

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

I am humbled by the support of the official opposition.

[The Clerk]

Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt this motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare Mr. Peter Braid duly elected first vice-chair of this committee.

Congratulations.

[The Chair, NDP, Pat Martin]

Welcome, Peter.

Are you finished, Mr. Clerk?

[The Clerk]

The floor is yours. Thank you.

[The Chair, NDP, Pat Martin]

Very good, thank you.

We'll resume then. Having welcomed Peter to the position of vice-chair, the vice-chairs then, Dan, are John McCallum from the Liberals, and the first vice-chair now, of course is Peter.

Now we will go in camera. We were going to have a subcommittee planning meeting, but seeing as we're all convened in the room anyway, we decided to have a more general conversation with the committee as a whole about future business. I'm going to suspend the meeting for a moment while we go in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]