Evidence of meeting #1 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 41st Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
The previous committees also did not reflect the percentage of seats in the House.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
It was just a mechanism that was used. It's fairly traditional. I have sat on three or four committees now, and that's typically what happens.
I do certainly like the proposal around at least a seven-minute round, because if you're talking about quality versus quantity, which is really what we're trying to get here, we want to make sure people have enough time to flesh out the idea, which would reflect the quality of it.
Most of the committees I've sat on have had two-hour meetings. Rarely did we have a panel in for one hour unless there were lots of people coming in as witnesses. Then what we often did was the chair would ask the group if we could agree on a five-minute round when we had one hour. Almost without exception we would agree to that.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
I'm not so sure you're going to get a whole lot of movement on changing the order of things, but the five or seven minutes maybe. But I'll leave that to the rest of the members.
Kellie.
Conservative
Kellie Leitch Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON
I have just a few things. First off, I guess in order to move this forward, we're very comfortable moving the first Conservative member to the end, so it would be NDP, Conservative, NDP, Conservative, Liberal, Conservative on the five-minute round for the hour sessions. It would just be taking the first person and moving them to the last, and that would be for the five-minute rounds and also the seven-minute rounds.
Conservative
Kellie Leitch Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON
I'm so excited. I just want to follow you every time, Rodger.
We're comfortable with that. But I do think just from the standpoint of trying to have as many members of the entire committee have an opportunity to speak as possible, if we're going to have one-hour rounds we should stick to the five minutes and if we're going to go to the two-hour rounds then we would do seven minutes. It would give every member an opportunity in doing two-hour rounds to actually have more time to formulate a question and do things. That's the position we're putting forward.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
What I'm going to suggest is that the first motion number 4 be withdrawn and that the second motion number 4 be put on the table with an amendment in both the five- and seven-minute rounds to make the last member in the round Conservative, and Liberal just before that.
Conservative
Kellie Leitch Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON
So the amendment would be that the speaking order would change to NDP, Conservative, NDP, Conservative, Liberal, Conservative.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
Right. Then we'll have discussion on this new motion as amended.
Carol, did you have a comment, or was it Jean?
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
It was me.
I think I would also want this to be a little bit more substantive and say that the witnesses from any one organization shall be allowed five minutes when it is a one-hour meeting and ten minutes when it is a two-hour meeting.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
I'm sure I'll exercise my discretion wisely, but you're saying it might not be me. It does give you the opportunity, and I'm sure some of that would be just using logic, as you might have to improvise and have seven minutes at some point because of something. I don't know that you want to constrict the chair. Of course if discretion weren't exercised properly, the committee could amend this at its pleasure.
If you want to propose an amendment, you are welcome to, but it's not likely to sell.
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
I would hope that the chair will be impartial in some way.
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
We have to give some thought, as my colleague has indicated here, to the fact that when people come they do travel from afar. And sometimes you're just starting to get into your speech and the time is gone and a lot of the meat is just not there.
We are talking about a committee that deals with various issues here, and I think it's important, if we are going to invite witnesses here, that they be allowed to speak. At the same time, it allows us to build our questioning, aside from what is provided to us and aside from some of the research we're doing. So a lot of our questions often come from the testimony itself.
I think it is reasonable to indicate that if we're having two-hour meetings, we ask for ten-minute speeches.
Thank you.
Conservative
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
I am moving it as an amendment.
Thank you very much.
(Amendment negatived)
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
We'll go back to the main motion.
(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
You're not totally happy, but some accommodation was made, and that's good.
The other thing we should say, and the clerk was just sharing with me, is that witnesses are asked to bring their briefs with them and circulate them to the parties, etc., so that's somewhat helpful.
Moving to document distribution, that is pretty much straightforward. All documents, including motions, must be in both official languages and witnesses shall be advised of this requirement. And we must ensure they are, because many times they come in and they don't know or they forget, so it would be a good thing to double-remind them.
This is moved by Brad.
(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
Moving to working meals, we have a committee that sits from 4:30 to 5:30. I'm not sure what that means, but it says:
That the committee hereby authorize the clerk of the committee, in consultation with the chair, to make the necessary arrangements to provide for working meals, as may be required, and that the cost of these meals be charged to the committee budget.
Brad moves that.
(Motion agreed to)
Travel, accommodation, and living expenses of witnesses:
That, if requested, reasonable travel, accommodation, and living expenses be reimbursed to witnesses, not exceeding two representatives per organization; and that, in exceptional circumstances, payment for more representatives be made at the discretion of the chair.
One is probably sufficient. Two is maybe....
You don't like the discretion of the chair, Rodger, or what?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki
Did we have a mover for this motion, the travel?
Yes, okay, Brad.
Now we can have some discussion.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
It's not that I disagree with the motion. I think sometimes two representatives are required when somebody needs an attendant or sometimes when there's an elder coming before a committee.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
I agree with the two representatives, but I wonder if we could add “if requested, reasonable child care expenses”.
Particularly with this committee, where we're part of HRSDC—
