Evidence of meeting #68 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 point.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Good morning. Welcome to the 68th meeting of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
We're in public briefly for this portion of the meeting.
This morning we received notice from Mr. Richards that he was resigning as the committee's first vice-chair. Accordingly, I will now give the floor to the clerk, who will proceed to the election of the new vice-chair.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Andrew Lauzon
Honourable members, pursuant to Standing Order 106(2) the first vice-chair must be a member of the official opposition. I'm now prepared to receive motions for the first vice-chair.
Mr. Simms.
The Clerk
It has been moved by Mr. Simms that Scott Reid be elected first vice-chair of the committee.
Are there any further motions?
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt this motion?
(Motion agreed to)
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Chair, before we go in camera I just want to make note of this historical moment at which the government has of course broken one of its biggest promises, to keep parliamentary secretaries off the committee. We now enter the new regime where we have not one but two parliamentary secretaries on the committee, breaking the government's promise about how it was going to do things differently around here.
Thank you.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
If I could, I would just follow that up, Mr. Chair.
I appreciate Mr. Christopherson's comments. I'm happy to give him page 32 from our platform, which says we will also change the rules so that ministers and parliamentary secretaries no longer have a vote on committees. That's a promise fulfilled and something that we will continue to uphold. I just want to correct the record on that point.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Because they can't vote, they brought in two to ride shotgun.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
Actually, on the same point, can we just have clarification about what the role of PSs on committee is? I have no opposition to PSs being here. I know they aren't voting. I'm wondering if they are, for example, questioning witnesses. When we have rotations here, do they affect that sort of thing?
Liberal
The Clerk
Following changes to the Standing Orders, parliamentary secretaries were added to the committee as non-voting members. They have all the rights and privileges of a regular committee member, save for the right to vote and to move motions, and they are not counted for the purposes of quorum. That sums it up.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
Right.
They are ex officio in that sense; they don't count one way or the other.
What about when we get to things like questioning witnesses? Would they just take a government slot? So nothing changes and the rotations are the same?
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Under previous rules, the parliamentary secretaries were not allowed into in camera meetings except by a special motion. My understanding is that now we would expect that one or two of these parliamentary secretaries would have the right to be at in camera meetings of the committee. Is that correct?
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
The government may want to stand on the technicality of what the exact wordsmithing in their report was, but no logically thinking Canadian believes for one minute that this is anything other than making sure that you have parliamentary secretaries here to ride shotgun on the government members to make sure they don't stray from the government line, therefore watering down the whole concept that this government ran on about doing democracy differently, in particular committees.
I'm not going to go on at great length today, because I intend to go on at great length for the next two years every chance I get. When there is one of them is sitting there, I will be raising this point and reminding Canadians that the promise that this government, the Liberals, brought to Canadians about doing parliamentary business differently was a lie.
Thank you.
Conservative
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
I'm glad Mr. Christopherson raised that matter. I was going to ask about the rules regarding in camera meetings.
Yesterday I had the chance to substitute in for Mr. Richards at the meeting at which we were discussing our agenda. I was uncertain, because it's a new role for me, what the limitations are for the members. I'm not referring really to PSs; I'm referring to all members of Parliament other than those who are actually on the subcommittee, just for some clarification as to who can and can't be there.
The Clerk
Standing Order 119 states that:
Any Member of the House who is not a member of a standing, special or legislative committee, may, unless the House or the committee concerned otherwise orders, take part in the public proceedings of the committee, but may not vote or move any motion, nor be part of any quorum.
That applies to all members of the House. They are all welcome to attend public meetings.
The Clerk
When we speak of in camera sessions, I'll read from Chapter 20 of O'Brien and Bosc, page 1077:
Neither the public nor the media is permitted at in camera meetings, and there is no broadcasting of the proceedings. Usually, only the committee members, the committee staff and invited witnesses, if any, attend in camera meetings. Members of the House who are not members of the committee normally withdraw when the committee is meeting in camera. However, the committee may allow them to remain in the meeting room, just as it may allow any other individual to remain.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
Right. Normally we would just take a consensus, but if necessary we would decide the matter by means of a majority vote.
