Evidence of meeting #2 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was hour.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
It just about perfectly aligns with the minister's visit. It's very close.
Conservative
Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC
It's four actually because we have.... We're sitting again on March 7. That would be two meetings, March 7 and 9. The next two would be March 21 and 23. That would be four. The minister's visit is the 11th. It's like we actually planned it this way.
Conservative
Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC
There we go. There's our gap time. We don't need to worry about it.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
Excellent.
Is there a mover to adopt the report? Mr. Long.
(Motion agreed to)
I think that worked out really well. I was very pleased with the end results.
Everybody would have received an email from the office of the clerk with these bullet points regarding the Centennial Flame Research Award for Persons with Disabilities.
I'm seeing some heads nod and some heads shaking. I spoke to this in subcommittee and I'll speak to it here briefly. This is a really cool kind of a subcommittee project, theoretically, that we could be working on. The money that is thrown into the Centennial Flame is collected and is actually distributed as a scholastic award.
I'll just read the finer points here:
According to the Centennial Flame Research Award Act, this monetary award is offered each year to a person with a disability to enable him or her to conduct research and prepare a report on the contributions of one or more Canadians with disabilities to the public life of Canada or the activities of Parliament.
There is a responsibility for us. The administration of the Centennial Flame Research Award is delegated to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. The award is comprised of money, as I said, collected from the fountain plus any private and corporate donations made to the Centennial Flame Research Award Fund. The amount for the 2014 award was $5,500, so this is a significant award.
In April 2016, the clerk of the committee will issue a news release inviting people with disabilities to apply for the award and providing information on how to apply. In December 2016, members of the committee will select the recipient of the 2016 award.
Given the incredible amount of work that is going to be coming to this committee, I'm just throwing this out there. Is there something that we want to create or can we create a special committee to oversee this on behalf of this committee? Is that something that may have been done before, Mr. Zimmer?
Conservative
Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC
Mr. Chair, Rodger Cuzner could fill us in on how it worked before.
It would take up one possible meeting just to vet the names. We get the names beforehand and by the time we come to committee, we're ready to vote. I'm open to that, but we might want to do it in camera, so people don't know who gets selected before we release it.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
Mr. Cuzner, would you mind commenting on how it's been done in the past?
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
In the past, staff put together a short list of applicants and circulated it to committee members. Then we came back, there was discussion, a meeting, and it was voted upon. We leave it to the staff to narrow it down to the final three to five candidates.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
Is everybody fine with continuing with that process? Excellent.
There are a couple of points on the other side of this fantastic page that I failed to report on. Recipients normally have one calendar year from the date of the presentation to submit their report to the clerk of the committee. The 2014 award recipient, Selma Kouidri, whose research explored the legacy of Maria Barile, a woman who lived with a disability and who was a pioneer in the disability movement, should be sending her report to the clerk shortly, so we'll be looking forward to that.
Moving on, and not seeing any questions or comments, the supplementary estimates were tabled in the House on Friday, February 19. Each committee may consider and report, or be deemed to have reported, the votes on the supplementary estimates no later than three sitting days before the final sitting of the supply period ending March 26. Monday, March 21, is that day.
The main estimates were sent via email to everybody just prior to this meeting, so your staff have access to that now.
Finally, the next meeting of the standing committee will be held on Monday, March 7, at 3:30 p.m. We are on the second floor on Monday, just so you're aware.
Are there any further comments or questions?
Mr. Ruimy.
Liberal
Dan Ruimy Liberal Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC
What will our agenda be? Are we going to have witnesses?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
The first meeting is actually a briefing from the department officials. Now that this motion has been adopted by this committee, the clerk will make that invitation to the department, so they can give this committee an update.
The meeting is adjourned.