Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Jan. 27th, 2009

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Chair, call the question.

[An hon. member]

Hear, hear.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Okay, this is for Mr. Reid's amendment.

(Amendment negatived)

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

On the original motion, on having a committee to look at gifts, go ahead, Mr. Reid.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

I'm going to vote in favour of this thing. I think it's a very worthwhile subcommittee, and I'm glad Monsieur Guimond brought it up. I think adding clarity--and potentially, if necessary, changing the rules--is a good idea.

I just want to again make the observation that I'm disappointed at what is, I think fairly transparently, an effort to freeze out members of the government and make it difficult for the government to operate on this subcommittee. And you know, I think we should assume that this will be the last subcommittee that we will allow to be set up without a government member on it.

That being said, I think this is an excellent subcommittee, and when you call the question, I'll be voting in favour of that motion.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Call the question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

In the original motion, we had set a reporting date of June 1, 2009. Are we leaving that there? Yes? Okay.

So then we'll have a vote on the motion with that date in mind.

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Did I in fact hear Mr. Reid say that the government has now decided that there will be no subcommittee? Is he speaking for the Conservative government?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Mr. Reid.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

I think Mr. Godin should assume that's my position.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

No, I asked if it was the government's position or just yours.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

You should assume that if you're trying to get my support on something, you're going to find it hard to do. Just take that for what it's worth.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chair, could someone clarify something for me? Is this the government's position, or that of Mr. Scott Reid? In case he doesn't know, each committee is the master of its own actions. Each committee has the right to decide if it will have subcommittees and, if so, what their role will be. Mr. Reid is not the one who decides for all of the committees. I want to be clear about that. When he says that he will be voting against this measure, is Mr. Reid speaking as an MP, or for the government which now wants to interfere with committees?

As the Speaker of the House of Commons so aptly put it:

the committee is the master of their own....

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you for that. We've finished the debate and the moving of that motion. We'll move on. If you need to clarify something with Mr. Reid, I'm sure you can do it outside of the room.

Are there any other motions for today?

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I'm sorry, Mr. Chair. I'm referring to the statement he made at the meeting, and I want to know what he said.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

But we're not in any debate on any issue at the moment, Mr. Godin.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

We're not in debate. I'm just asking, since he made a statement, if he could clarify whether it is his or the government's.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Let's try it.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

I'm responding to Mr. Godin by using the point of order. The answer is that this is what I want to do in this committee. It's not the government's position for every committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you.

Mr. Guimond.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

Mr. Chair, I'm re-reading the minutes of proceedings of our third meeting on December 4 last. My colleague Harold can check and see if there was a debate. According to the minutes, this matter was debated. Be that as it may, I don't wish to belabour the point.

According to the minutes, some members were apparently designated. Do we have...

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Have we not already settled this, sir? Go ahead.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

Do we know who these Members are? The minutes do not contain names. As I recall, Mrs. DeBellefeuille was supposed to be our party's representative on the committee. And Mrs. DeBellefeuille recalls that Ms. Block had been selected at the Conservative party representative.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

It said that the subcommittee would be composed of a member of each party following consultations with the whips. That's what we had decided. We have yet to establish that because the whips need to establish that subcommittee.