Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Dec. 8th, 2016

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Some of those things we're trying to do already, but we need to get it in the Standing Orders. I think we agreed to that at a previous meeting.

Table 10 is on routine proceedings. There are seven items of potential discussion.

Topic 1, answers to written questions: give the Speaker the power to judge the quality and substance of answers to Order Paper questions, e.g. answer must relate to the question.

Mr. Davies.

Topic 2, reorder rubrics under routine proceedings: move the place of motions in the current order of rubrics to place it at the end of routine proceedings. Move the place of questions on the Order Paper to precede tabling of documents.

Is there no champion?

I think the purpose of that item might have been to get some of that business done without being interrupted by a dilatory motion, like we did today. We were debating for three hours on something and then those other things didn't get done. However, there is no champion.

Topic 3, tabling of documents by opposition members: permit the tabling of any document by members of the opposition.

Mr. Davies.

Topic 4, tabling of uncertified petitions: allow members to table uncertified petitions in the House.

What is that?

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

Twenty-five signatures are required. Give me a break.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

You will champion it? Okay.

Topic 5, written questions (allowing questions to stand): remove the requirement that the government ask that all questions be allowed to stand each day.

Is there a champion?

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

It's one of these absurd things where Kevin asks that they be allowed to stand and they have to agree. What happens if they don't agree? I don't even know.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

The Speaker wouldn't allow it, though.

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

It happened very early on. Somebody said no on that one, and it caused chaos at the table as they tried to figure out what to do.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

If the Speaker knew what he was doing, he wouldn't allow it.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

It's sort of an auto-pilot thing.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

So would you champion that, David?

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

Yes, I don't see requiring it to still be there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

We'll turn to topic 6, in table 10.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

What happened to 5?

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

David championed it.

Topic 6, written questions (questions transferred to notice of motion): delete Standing Order 39(6), which allows the Speaker upon request of government to allow lengthy Order Paper questions to stand on the Order Paper as a notice of motion.

Is there no champion at this time? We can come back to that.

Topic 7, written questions (question made order for return): delete Standing Order 39(7), which allows the House to allow the reply to a complex question to take the form of a return.

Is there no champion?

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

[Inaudible—Editor] response.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

We're on table 11, sitting schedule. There are seven potential topics for discussion here.

Topic 1, eliminate Friday sittings or continue to sit five days per week: eliminate Friday sittings of the House. Extend the rest of the sitting week in order to accomplish the Parliamentary business conducted on Friday, e.g. sit extra days during the year, sit on certain weekends, add an extra hour per day. Other members gave their views as to why a five-day sitting week should be maintained.

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

I'll do this one.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Anita will champion it.

Topic 2, parliamentary calendar (adjustment): begin sitting weeks earlier in the fall and adjourn earlier in the late spring. Increase the number of sitting weeks in January, decrease the sitting weeks in June.

Oh, this is mine.

Arnold.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

I've got your back.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Thank you.

Topic 3, parliamentary calendar (sitting blocks): schedule sitting in blocks where the House sits for two weeks, then adjourns for two weeks. Avoid long blocks of consecutive sitting weeks.

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

I'll take on the second half of that.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

We can amend it, maybe.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Why don't we amend that and just have a discussion on the second half?

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

Yes, that is just to avoid five-week and six-week chunks when things get really fun around here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Larry Bagnell]

Is that okay with everyone?

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Do you want to take it, David [Inaudible—Editor] consideration of sitting for two?