Evidence of meeting #15 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 43rd 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.
1:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ruby Sahota
Thank you.
I think this was touched upon before as well in Madam Normandin's comments.
Andre, can you clarify?
May 7th, 2020 / 1:40 p.m.
Committee Researcher
I could see two approaches to fixing this. One would be to simply delete it. The second would be to add the additional information Mr. Brassard is suggesting.
1:40 p.m.
Liberal
1:40 p.m.
Liberal
Ryan Turnbull Liberal Whitby, ON
I would prefer if this made reference to a point in time. As we know, with the adoption of any new platform, technology or procedural changes, there are going to be changes over time. Staffing may increase at the beginning, but adoption of that new technology, over time, may decrease the number of people who are required in the future. It may actually, in fact, change. I'd just like to reference the point in time, if possible.
1:40 p.m.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Madame Chair, this also goes back to my earlier comment about clarity regarding how many staff are in those two different frameworks. I think that's important. I appreciate what Mr. Turnbull said as well. It's about identifying that period of time as well.
1:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ruby Sahota
You're absolutely right, Ms. Blaney. This is the concern you were raising before.
It seems as though we have more suggestions to further clarify and add more information, Andre.
1:40 p.m.
Committee Researcher
I think I have it. I could draft something up and see what the committee thinks about it at the next meeting.
1:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ruby Sahota
Okay. Thank you.
All right. Other than that, we're moving on to section E, then, which is “Modified procedures at national legislatures in response to COVID-19”.
We'll start with Scotland and section E.i.(a), “Overview”.
1:40 p.m.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Madam Chair, I don't know that I have anything specific I want to talk about in terms of what's there. For me, it's more about what maybe isn't there.
I know that when I asked our clerk earlier about some of the other witnesses, some had declined or couldn't be invited for various reasons, so we didn't have a chance to hear from some of the others like Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, which are often among those we use for comparison when we look at our systems.
Even though we weren't able to hear from them during the testimony, it doesn't mean we shouldn't try to gather advice or information about what they're doing, to inform what we're doing. I think it would be good if we were to ask our analyst to add some sort of summary of what's happening in those three jurisdictions. It would be good information for our report.
Then also, I know he is already working on the provincial stuff, but I think we should maybe reserve a spot here for it and for some summary of it once we've had a chance to see it. Maybe at this point we could even instruct that some language be drafted for the report itself, based on the stuff that Andre's pulling together for us on the provincial aspect.
Again, this is just to point out some things we should probably be adding somewhere in this area .
1:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ruby Sahota
I don't know if we would really have enough time. At this point we don't have enough time to get advice, but I do take your point that we could add in from Andre's research as to what these jurisdictions are doing.
1:45 p.m.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
I wasn't asking for any advice. I was simply indicating that we should be adding in what you're suggesting, which is what's happening in other jurisdictions.
Those are some of the more comparable ones. The same thing goes for the provinces. Obviously it would be a no-brainer that we might want to look at what some of the provinces are doing as well. I'm just suggesting that maybe we could draft something that could summarize all of that information.
1:45 p.m.
Committee Researcher
The briefing note Mr. Richards asked for about the provinces is in translation. It's due back today, or tomorrow at the very latest. I can drop that in. That's no problem.
Australia, New Zealand, and the United States appeared in a briefing note that was circulated to the committee about two weeks ago. Time might not permit that much updating on what they're doing. There's a bit of a risk that it might be one or two weeks out of date, but if the committee is comfortable with that, I could drop it in. It's already translated. The translation bureau wouldn't be upset with me.
1:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ruby Sahota
Even in terms of our health information and everything, with the way things are moving so fast in this pandemic, by the time we present this report, there is probably going to be more than just that area that will be a little bit out of date. I think it is what it is when it comes to that, but I don't see any problems with including those jurisdictions.
Go ahead, Mr. Turnbull.
1:45 p.m.
Liberal
Ryan Turnbull Liberal Whitby, ON
I'm really supportive of that idea. I thought that the briefing was really good. Looking at those other jurisdictions was helpful, and they seemed quite progressive as well.
1:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ruby Sahota
There are hands up, which I think are from before.
Ms. Blaney and Mr. Richards, you have your hands up, so I was wondering if you could put your hands down in the participants column. It just throws me off.
Mr. Brassard, you have a point.
1:45 p.m.
Conservative
John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON
I'm scanning the page here, because we're still on page 9. I think we need to go back, Andre.
Line 3 says, “Internet connectivity and speed varied throughout the country.” I think that should be “varies throughout the country” so that it's more accurately reflected in the report.
1:45 p.m.
Conservative
John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON
The other one that I would point out is that in the testimony, going down to line 32 where it says, “On 1 April 2020, Parliament met with a reduced quorum (of 129 total members, 79 attended in-person)”, I think we need to look at replacing “79” to “no more than 79” because, if I recall, the reference to 79 was to how many chairs were kept in the chamber to permit adequate physical distancing. I think it needs to reflect a little more accurately what we heard as testimony. I'll leave that to Andre to look at.
1:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ruby Sahota
Thank you, Mr. Brassard.
We are on Scotland, and that suggestion was made regarding the section that's referring to Scotland.
We've moved on. Is everyone okay with the...?
1:50 p.m.
Liberal
Ryan Turnbull Liberal Whitby, ON
Madam Chair, can I just clarify that those additions would be in a separate section, and not in the Scotland section, obviously. Is that right?
1:50 p.m.
Committee Researcher
Thank you, Madam Chair.
My thought would be to add the countries in alphabetical order, and then the provinces in their own section, but also alphabetically.