Evidence of meeting #1 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was briefing.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
All in favour of the motion on documents distribution as presented?
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Francis, please continue.
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
We move on to working meals.
I'm actually surprised that Mr. McCauley didn't put an amendment in there to include doughnuts.
9:25 a.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Committee hours will be changing in the future, as they always do. It's up to us to decide what types of food we want.
Again, it's just a routine motion to allow us to proceed, if we choose to.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Francis is right that committee times change from parliament to parliament. This committee is now meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Other committees meet in the late afternoon. Some meet in mid-afternoon. Depending on the time of day, from time to time the clerk, on the advice of the members of this committee, determines whether meals are to be served and what they would be—sandwiches, full meals, hot meals, breakfast meals or evening meals. If we just leave it like this, in consultation with our clerk we'll make determinations as seen fit when it comes to the type of food you will be served.
If you have any complaints, you can complain to the clerk.
9:25 a.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
All in favour of working meals as proposed?
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Next is witnesses' expenses.
Mr. Drouin.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Again, this is very routine. We want Canadians to participate in our studies. All committees often pay for expenses for them to either show up here or move into a special room when they're a lot further from Ottawa and can't be here physically.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Once again, we will continue to follow this practice. We have been very conscious, at least at this committee level, of trying to curb expenses and not incur unnecessary expenses. It means, for example, that from time to time, or maybe even as a routine practice, rather than fly witnesses in to appear publicly we try to establish video conferences and try to keep the costs down. In all cases, we do want to make sure that witnesses who have been requested to appear before this committee have the ability to do so, and our committee will incur the expenses for those appearances.
All in favour of the motion on witnesses' expenses as proposed?
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Thank you.
Continue, please, Mr. Drouin.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
The next one is for staff at in camera meetings. I suppose it makes the chair's job much easier when we require only one staff member per office, and one from the House officer's office, to be present when we have in camera meetings. Often we will meet and we will have witnesses. Sometimes we'll have an in camera business meeting shortly after, so sometimes you can see some lurking around.
I'm sure this makes your job a lot easier, Mr. Chair.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
There has been the odd occasion when we've had requests from some members of this committee, whether on the government side or the opposition side, to relax the rule to allow more than one staffer. We've dealt with that on an individual, one-by-one basis, but if we can adopt this, that would ensure we have some continuity. One staff member probably should be sufficient for each party and each member here.
Do we have agreement on the motion on staff at in camera meetings?
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Mr. Drouin, next is in camera meeting transcripts.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
The goal of this particular motion is to make sure that what happens at in camera meetings stays in camera. The clerk always has a copy of the transcript. Again, this is just to make sure that the information provided in camera stays confidential and inside those four walls.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
All in favour?
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next one is the notice of motions. This is something that I would ask particularly new members to listen to attentively.
Mr. Drouin.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Again, it's very routine in terms of how we've operated on this committee. It's 48 hours' notice. You may want to pay attention to what 48 hours' notice means in this committee. I can read it if you want, but I think it's pretty self-explanatory.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
All I would ask is that you understand the notice requirements and the deadline for filing notices, which is 4 p.m.
Mr. Aboultaif.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, AB
I have a quick question. Can you specify whether it's 48 working hours or 48 hours?
9:30 a.m.
A voice
It's two sleeps.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
That's correct.
All in favour?
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Mr. Drouin, on independent members. We've dealt with this.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
9:30 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a motion regarding in camera proceedings.
I move:
That any motion to go in camera should be debatable and amendable, and that the committee may only meet in camera for the following purposes:
a) to discuss administrative matters of the committee
b) a draft report
c) briefings concerning national security;
And furthermore, minutes of in camera meetings should reflect on the results of all votes taken by the committee while in camera, including how each member voted when a recorded vote is requested.
9:35 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
If I may interject, I'm going to make a recommendation that we consider this, although we've already passed the in camera meetings routine motion as presented. However, in deference to you, Mr. Green, you are a new member, and you have presented this in both official languages I presume?
