Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Feb. 10th, 2009

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Yes, we'll have a two-hour meeting at the end of which we'll know exactly where we stand, and we can start having witnesses, or maybe we'll want to make a decision at the end of the two hours.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

With your permission we will write to both Mr. Walsh and the clerk and say that this is the end game we're trying to get to and ask if they can help us get there. They will hopefully try to answer some of the questions ahead of time.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

They can include the pros and cons.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Is there further discussion on this topic?

Is there anything else for the good of the committee today?

Yes.

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

Are the results of the voting in the House of Commons posted on the Internet?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

No. If I can answer from personal experience, there used to be a “How'd They Vote” website--it was called “How'd They Vote”--and you could always look it up. I know that we've asked at the Board of Internal Economy for the House itself to develop a website on how people have voted so that it would be far easier for us and others to look up.

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

What happens then? Can we do something here with this? I mean, if the board is not doing it and is staying silent.... I don't know what happens there and I want to know. We just get the results.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

As I said, I know that we have asked the House to start to do that. I just don't know where it is. We could do that too.

Go ahead, Mr. Lukiwski.

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

After each vote it's on Journals online, but I don't think they have a website showing a compendium of all the votes going back a year or two years or something.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

“How'd They Vote” used to do that, and it was great.

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

I think one can always go on-line and obtain the results of the voting. It's not something that is “user friendly“. You're talking about something that would be easier to access, for example, a website called “How'd They Vote“, where you could obtain results immediately. Right now, you have to find the results yourself, and if you're not good at searching on-line...

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I'm not certain about what I can share with you from the Board of Internal Economy.

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

That's why I said I don't want to hear it. I know you're

privy to some secrets. That's why I'm saying that our committee could perhaps look into this matter.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Perhaps when the clerk is here that day we can also ask her that question.

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

Sure.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Perhaps it would be interesting as well to see if there are any foreign jurisdictions or provincial ones here in Canada that allow webcasting. We can see what their rules and procedures are and actually do an evaluative comparative study. That might help guide us as well. If there are, we might want to look a little further into what issues they've had. Has it caused any problems and so on?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

That is a fantastic point and it is a great piece for our researchers to look at: what is the provincial piece?

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

And what is done in other jurisdictions?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

And look at other jurisdictions, as there are many jurisdictions around the world that are faced with this.

Great. Let's not break new ground if it's already been broken.

Are there further questions? Seeing none, we are adjourned.