Evidence of meeting #5 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 votes.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Thank you, Mr. Clerk, for coming. We appreciate your expertise. I'm sure we will probably have to call on it later. Did you want to make any closing comments?
Acting Clerk, House of Commons
I would just say, Mr. Chairman, that it should be obvious now that the kinds of changes the committee is examining carry with them quite a few consequences and implications. I want to reiterate my offer to make available to the committee whatever staff the committee may require to further examine and ultimately prepare recommendations on these subjects.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Thank you very much. We really appreciate your help.
I just want to make sure we have our agenda set for the next meeting or two so we know what we're going to do.
One other piece of information that's available to us is that apparently, last year an all-party women's committee did a report on a family-friendly, inclusive parliament, which we could look at in one of our meetings to see what they were recommending.
As it stands, for Thursday we're going to get your report on other parliaments. We would ask that they include some of the questions you've been asking, on things like the Australian House and the parallel parliament, in which there seems to be quite a bit of interest here. Then we had scheduled to do committee business after that. Mr. Christopherson may or may not want to call his motion.
During this time, just as a reminder to anyone who's new here, the members here were going to go back to their whips and caucuses and House leaders to get any input from their caucuses by the end of the first week back, to give people time to get through two caucus meetings.
Under those circumstances, what would the committee like to do on the first Tuesday back after the break?
Mr. Richards.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Probably what we'll hear on Thursday might help to inform a little bit what we might want to do to further this particular study. I think we're going to need to do a lot of examination. As we heard today from the Acting Clerk, there certainly is a lot of potential for unintended consequences here. We want to make sure we've fully considered all of those before we proceed.
Obviously, we will want to see what our analyst has for us on Thursday, and we can maybe have some discussion about that then.
While I have the floor, though, I would like to raise a matter. Something had been sent around by the clerk yesterday or the day before in regard to these order-in-council appointments made by the so-called independent advisory board for Senate appointments. Certainly it's within the purview of the committee to call the nominees to appear before the committee. I strongly believe, as this is a new process that's being instituted here, that it would be advisable and very important for us as a committee to call those nominees before committee sometime in the very near future to discuss the appointment and the process they're engaged in.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Should we discuss that at the subcommittee of agenda items as to when and what we would do about that?
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
As long as it's agreeable that we would be having them come in to appear, yes. We could certainly discuss the timing of that at the subcommittee, but I think we should get an indication that this is something that the government would not try to block or prevent from happening. It is important that they come in and that we hear about the process.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
Further to that, Mr. Chair, the first round of appointments is occurring very soon. Nominations, as I understand it, will be closed on the day after Valentine's Day, two weeks from today. When the nominations have closed, we assume the panel will be meeting and will be busy, so it seems reasonable to me that we should ask them to come here.
We're not inviting all of them, I assume, but the select people we can get—including, I would think, the chair—ought to be invited to come here prior to the 15th.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
Yes, the 15th of February, as it follows that their workload is going to be lower and then much higher. It seems like a reasonable alternative for us.
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Blake, were you thinking of all of the committee appointments or were you thinking of one or two? Right on the surface, I think it could be a good thing to do. I'm interested in what it is you're really trying to get at. Is it all committee members? The timing is important, because they're going to be very busy, I'm sure—
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Yes. Mr. Reid just alluded to that as well, and being aware of what he just said, I think it's important that we do this as quickly as possible so that we're not into the period of time where they're going to be looking at the appointments themselves.
I agree that it should be as soon as possible. We might want to look at it right after the break, at the first meeting after the break, on the understanding that we may not be able to get all of them here. I think it's important that we try our best to get those we can. I think it would be important to have the chair, at the very minimum. Obviously, we would want to invite them all, and hopefully we can have at least a few of them come and appear. I would think that at least the permanent federal members would certainly be the most important. I don't know if others have other thoughts on this, but I would think that at a minimum it would be certainly the chair and hopefully the permanent federal members.
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Chair, some of my own colleagues have raised this particular issue. I have had some discussions about the possibility, if it were to come up at PROC, in terms of where it is we would like to be on this particular issue. I think it's being very open and reasonable. If that's what PROC.... I look to my colleagues and members of the committee if you want to have that discussion now, but I think that in principle it could be a good thing, as a couple of members have already approached me to get my thoughts on it. I'm interested in any other thoughts there might be, but in principle, yes, and then leave it with the subcommittee...?
Liberal
Arnold Chan Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
The only issue I wanted to put to you, Mr. Richards, is whether you want to deal with it here or at the subcommittee on the agenda.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Okay. I've just been having a quick discussion with my colleague. We were looking at the calendar.
Given that the appointments are moving forward in a pretty quick fashion, it might be advisable to try to see if it's possible to have.... I don't know the locations of these members, but it might be advisable for us to try to see if we can utilize some time on Thursday for that, because that would be before the process begins.
Certainly, we should be trying to move on this as quickly as we can, because this is a new process and we want to make sure that we've looked at and considered it before it begins.
Liberal
Ruby Sahota Liberal Brampton North, ON
I just want some clarification as to exactly what we would be doing with the members. Would we be questioning them here for an hour or the duration? Is that what you're suggesting?
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Yes, absolutely. That's exactly it.
That's what the standing order would indicate that we do. We would have them come in to appear before the committee, and we would have a chance to ask them questions.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Just for clarification, the standing order allows us to “examine the qualifications and competence” of the appointees.
Mr. Chan.
Liberal
Arnold Chan Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
I'm just mindful, given the timing that Mr. Richards has suggested, of whether it would be appropriate for the chair to approach the government to see whether this is in fact doable by Thursday. It's hard for us to know right now their availability.
I recognize the time sensitivity. We're going on a break week the following week. I think after we come back, this committee won't meet again until February 16, correct?