Evidence of meeting #45 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was champion.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Yes, the idea is that.... It used to be the case that, instead of having our lunches in our own lobbies, there was a lunch room for the two sides to get together, and it created a more collaborative atmosphere. Now it has changed, not that long ago—
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
I have no idea, probably 237-C or something. You would go there to eat, instead of in your own lobbies.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
Jamie Schmale Conservative Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON
Yes, that's the restaurant in the cafeteria, I think.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Anyway, I'm not sponsoring it. I'm just telling you that's what—
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
12:05 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Isn't that supposed to be the function of the parliamentary restaurant, though?
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
There, you pay. The food in the lobby is just the food that's available.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Instead of having food in your own lobby, the lobby food is joint, that's all. That's the way it used to be.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
So you're saying, in the West Block, the restaurant that's right beside the....
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
When we toured the West Block, wasn't the restaurant...?
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Okay, there is no champion for that.
The next one is members’ expenses: provide greater disclosure of members’ expenses.
I'm not sure that is us, either.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
Jamie Schmale Conservative Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON
No, that's not.... I think we do pretty well already.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Okay, there is no champion.
The next one is members’ offices: increase the member’s office budget, e.g. sufficient funds for members to hire four staff.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
If you can't hire four staff, you're paying an awful lot.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
That's not us either, is it? It's the Board of Internal Economy.
The next one is ministers (split role): put in place a system whereby ministers would not sit in the House; instead, their parliamentary duties are carried out by a “replacement” member.
This was in my speech. That's what they do in Sweden. When you're a minister, you are not allowed to sit in the House. They give you another member of Parliament for your constituency. You are so busy as a minister that you can't really do the two jobs well, so they give you another member and you don't sit in the House. You come one day a week, I think.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Yes, but who is “they”? Does the minister pick whoever they want?
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
I'm not sure how they select the person who represents their constituency.