Procedure and House Affairs Committee on June 2nd, 2016

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Good morning. This is meeting number 25 of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, of the first session of the 42nd Parliament. This meeting is being held in public for the first part. The second part will be in camera.

I'd like to welcome Mr. Liepert, who is replacing Mr. Reid, and Mr. Lightbound, who is replacing Ruby, more of a regular replacement or fill-in.

Welcome everyone to the East Block. Except for the library, this is the only Parliament building that looks pretty much the same as when it was first built. Those who have been here for a while know this is where the Prime Minister's offices—

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

The war room.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Yes. The Prime Minister's offices were in East Block originally.

In the first part of the meeting we'll go over some outstanding business items and then in the second hour we'll go in camera to look after the draft interim report.

There are a couple of things I want to get out of the way. We might consider asking the clerk to look into our doing a field trip of the West Block because that's where we're going and we're making some recommendations related to Parliament sitting. We might want to see where they are on it and what it looks like, especially the chambers. No one disagrees with that?

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

I was there a few weeks ago with the government operations and estimates committee. There's not much to see other than the chambers. It's still pretty much an open courtyard.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Okay.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I have a quick question. Would we be allowed to bring any staff on the tour?

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Sure. I don't see why not.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

The last time that we went, in the previous Parliament, about a year ago, they wanted to keep it reasonably limited because it's difficult with a large group. I think there might have been one or two staff who were allowed. It might have to be limited, but you'll know when you ask, Mr. Chair.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

At the public accounts committee, when the Auditor General did a thing on the renovation project, it was chaos all over the place, but even with that we did bring our staff. I would think it's further along at this time. I'm not actually pushing it. I'm just seeking to find out whether or not it would be allowed. You could let us know.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

We'll find out when we ask.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

I wasn't trying to indicate anything, Mr. Chair, so whatever—

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

No, I didn't take it that way either.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

The second thing is, someone at one of our meetings asked the Speaker or the Clerk, I can't remember who, how many seats the new room 200, which will be the new House of Commons, would hold. He's written back to us saying 340 individual seats. We need 338 right now. That's bigger than where we are now.

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

No, we have 339....

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

They're not individual.... If the letter is written in correct English, then they're separate seats.

The other thing I want to get on the record is our meeting next week with the delegation from Austria. It's going to be Tuesday, between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and it'll probably be in one of the Senate meeting rooms in the Centre Block. You'll get a notice of course.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

You're going to do a fine job.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

[Inaudible—Editor]

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Blake and I won't be there so you'll have to chair, David.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Nice try.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

The first order of business will be Standing Order 28(3).

David has a suggested compromise which we will pass out.

David, you'll have to be persuasive in your presentation.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Do you know what? I've decided on a different approach. What's happening is that I'm defending the position of another office. It's actually the House leader's office. We're starting to get jammed here. I'm having trouble breaking it because it's not my file. I'm the conduit.

My understanding is that it takes unanimous agreement to make the change, if that's correct. I thought originally it was just a majority vote.

I see you shaking your head. Could I get clarification, then?

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

We pass it with whoever is here. We make a report to the House with a majority vote. We ask for concurrence in the report, because we have to change the Standing Orders and the House has to agree. If we don't get unanimous consent, we ask a bunch of times. Mr. Preston asked 25 times, I think, last Parliament for approval of a report.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

There was a reason for that.