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.
9:05 a.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Paul Cardegna
Honourable members of the committee, I see a quorum.
I must inform members that the clerk of the committee can only receive motions for the election of the chair. The clerk cannot receive other types of motions, and cannot entertain points of order or participate in debate.
We can now proceed to the election of the chair.
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the official opposition.
I am now ready to receive motions for the chair.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
9:05 a.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
February 20th, 2020 / 9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
I will put forward a motion that we choose Mr. Tom Lukiwski as chair.
9:05 a.m.
The Clerk
Mr. McCauley has moved that Mr. Lukiwski be the chair of the committee.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
This is despite my reservations, and I'd like to put that on the record as well.
9:05 a.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
9:05 a.m.
The Clerk
Your reservations are noted.
Are there any other nominations for the position of chair?
Is it agreed?
9:05 a.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
9:05 a.m.
The Clerk
It is agreed that Mr. Lukiwski is elected chair of the committee. I'd like to congratulate him and invite him to take the chair here.
9:05 a.m.
Some hon. members
Hear, hear!
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Let me first offer my most abject apologies for being late. It's not a very sterling way to start off a new chairmanship, but thank you very much. It's good to see so many of you familiar faces again. It's very good to see some new faces here.
For those of you who don't know me, I am Tom Lukiwski. I've been a member of Parliament now for six terms. This is my second go-around as chair of this committee. For new members, I can assure you that this is a very good committee to be on. There are some very bright and industrious people, and we've done, I think, some excellent work in years past. We've written a few very good reports, and I look forward to receiving more good reports and good work from this committee.
Once again, my apologies, but thank you so much for your confidence in me. I'll try to live up to it as we move forward.
I think the first order of business is to elect a couple of vice-chairs.
9:05 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
I have a point of order on that.
I'm wondering if it might please this committee that we defer this until after PROC has met and allow its process to take place. If we have the will of committee to do that, it might allow us to get into our regular business, after those decisions are made there.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Thank you very much, and it's a good point. PROC is still seized with and have discussing this. My understanding is that certain committees have already gone forward and elected some vice-chairs, perhaps not all. It's up to the will of this committee whether we wish to elect vice-chairs at this point in time, defer that decision or whether we move on and try to deal with something like routine proceedings.
Mr. McCauley.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Would we not be able to select vice-chairs now, and then if PROC decides to go forward, we could add the other one?
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
For the benefit of everyone—I think everyone here is aware of it—some of the committees have elected vice-chairs but deferred the decision for a third vice-chair until PROC brings down their decision, if that is going to happen in certain committees.
If you would like, we can do that. We can elect the two vice-chairs and leave the possible election of a third vice-chair until our colleagues at procedure and House affairs have finished their deliberations. Would that make sense?
9:05 a.m.
An hon. member
Yes.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
In that case, we'll go forward with the election of the two vice-chairs, and we'll open this for nominations.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Mr. Chair, I'd like to nominate Francis Drouin for the vice-chair position on the government side.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
First vice-chair?
The name of Mr. Francis Drouin has been put forward. Are there any further nominations?
(Motion agreed to)
Congratulations, Francis.
Now we go for a second vice-chair.
9:10 a.m.
The Clerk
If the committee wants to, yes.
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the second vice-chair must be a member of an opposition party other than the official opposition.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
In what might be an unorthodox way, I'd like to put my own name forward. I'd be remiss if I didn't, and I don't actually have somebody to do that on my behalf, but I would like to put my name forward for the second vice-chair.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Certainly, this is within the parameters and the context of what we do here, so that's not out of order at all.
Are there any further nominations?
I'm sorry, I should know this, my bad for this. Could we have, for the record, your name?
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
For the record, my name is Matthew Green from the wonderful riding of Hamilton Centre.