Evidence of meeting #1 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was minutes.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Chair, could I just clarify what you said? You said that the clerk has advised you that on the language we have now.... Oh, is it with the amended language?
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
You made a proposed amendment, and I asked a question. The clerk responded to it.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Yes, but what I'm not clear on is whether the clerk requires my amendment to have that procedure.
12:50 p.m.
A voice
Yes.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Chair, I'm not going to make a big deal about it. My concern remains the same. What the clerk is saying, what I guess feeds or at least edifies my concern, is that no staff member would be able to access the in camera document without specific written authorization from the member.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Do we need to vote on the amendment? Or are we all in agreement that it's a friendly amendment?
Go ahead, Mr. Opitz.
June 23rd, 2011 / 12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Ted Opitz Conservative Etobicoke Centre, ON
Just to add to that, so all members are aware, if you have a staff member here who accesses the information, ultimately the member is accountable and responsible for any breach of information. That's it, that's all.
(Motion as amended agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
The last item, subject to anyone else's suggestions, is number 10.
Mr. Dykstra.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Notice of motions has always been a bone of contention as long as I've been here, but I think this should satisfy all parties: That 48 hours' notice shall be required for any substantive motion to be considered by the committee, unless the substantive motion relates directly to business then under consideration; and that the notice of motion be filed with the clerk of the committee and distributed to members in both languages. And then I would add that competed translated motions that are received by the close of business at 4 p.m. shall be distributed to members the same day.
The purpose of adding that piece at the end gives all of us the understanding that if a motion is filed on a Thursday, we'll actually get it on the Thursday, instead of all of us going back to the ridings on Friday and not seeing it till the following Monday and ending up with a discussion about receiving it on time or not.
I hope that satisfies all parties.
(Motion agreed to)
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Are there any other procedural motions that anyone wishes to bring?
Mr. Davies.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
For some reason, motions on appending dissenting supplementary opinions to committee reports are missing as standard motions. I did mention that to Mr. Dykstra. I don't know if that was inadvertent or not, but I would move that we add a routine motion.
I think I'm reading from the one we had last time: that every party shall have the right to attach as an annex a dissenting opinion on any report to be presented to the House of Commons by the--
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Mr. Davies, you are correct, it was in the previous procedural motions.
The clerk points out to me that this procedure is in the Standing Orders and it is the law of this committee. I assume that's why Mr. Dykstra didn't put it in. We're not listing what's in the Standing Orders because they can only be changed by the House. Therefore I assume that's why Mr. Dykstra took it out: he didn't think it was necessary. But it's free, if you want to put it in again.
The clerk has advised me that this particular procedure that was in the last session has to be adopted after every report anyway. That's in the Standing Orders, but your motion is not out of order. I assume that's why Mr. Dykstra left it out.
1 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Yes.
I think Mr. Dykstra and I agree that it's okay to put in, and I would feel more comfortable putting it in for several reasons.
First, it was in the last routine motions document. In fact, I've seen it in every committee.
I also don't know if other motions are contained in the Standing Orders, but certainly the dissenting and supplementary opinions are part of every committee's standing routine motions that I've seen.
1 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Mr. Davies, if you're at tab 7, could you read the motion so it's a formal motion, including the title?
1 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Sure.
Under the title of “dissenting and supplementary opinions”, the motion is that every party shall have the right to attach as an annex a dissenting opinion on any report to be presented to the House of Commons by the committee, and that this dissenting opinion shall be submitted to the clerk of the committee, within 48 hours of passing of the report by the committee, in both official languages.
(Motion agreed to)
1 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Are there any other motions for the procedure of this committee?
Then that concludes that section and I believe the business of the committee.
I'd like to congratulate members for getting through this. I understand other committees aren't as lucky as we are and are still chatting about things.
Before I adjourn, I'm going to give all of you something to think about over the summertime, for your summer reading, and ask that the subcommittee members come to what will probably be our first meeting to discuss what work this committee may undertake. There are no bills at this point, introduced or otherwise. We have some hints about some. There is a long.... I guess I shouldn't get into it now, because it will take too long to discuss.
It is my suggestion that the first meeting back, whenever that is, will be at the call of the chair and it will be a subcommittee meeting to discuss the agenda of this committee.
I therefore, unless someone has something else to say, will adjourn this committee to the call of the chair.