Evidence of meeting #2 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Jean-Marie David

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

I'm going to call this meeting to order. It's the second meeting of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

Today is an important day. It's a day that we've all been waiting for. It's the opportunity for us to get through, hopefully, routine motions. The routine motions being distributed are as they existed in this committee previous to the dissolution of Parliament. Our committee has not yet passed these. We've moved through a couple....

We procured the services of the Library of Parliament, but that was the only one we undertook. I was elected as chair, I guess, when we last met at committee prior to the summer break.

Members, you now have those routine motions before you. I will need somebody to make each motion. It would be wonderful if we could get through these pretty expeditiously, but I'll leave it to you, members, to move them, to debate as necessary, and, hopefully, if it's not necessary, we can just move to a vote.

I'll leave it now to members to begin the process of making motions with regard to these.

Does everyone have a copy?

Yes.

11:40 a.m.

NDP

John Rafferty NDP Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON

Mr. Chair, I just have a question. You said “vote”. Do you run this committee in terms of consensus, where people would just—

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

I'm always hopeful for consensus.

11:40 a.m.

NDP

John Rafferty NDP Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON

Oh, you are.

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

But in the event that--

11:40 a.m.

NDP

John Rafferty NDP Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON

You prefer a vote on each thing, do you?

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Well, I sometimes find it's easier to gauge the will of committee if we actually have....

I'm not looking to go through members' names. If we could just have quick votes, that probably would be the most expeditious way to move through this.

Ms. Duncan.

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

I think Mr. Rafferty is making a valid point. I would prefer if we just asked if there was a consensus. Then we wouldn't have to go to a vote. It's only if we don't have consensus that we would have to go to a vote. It would save us a lot of time.

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Mr. Rickford.

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON

Mr. Chair, I have no problem with that. The issue is that the routine motions from the 40th Parliament could hardly apply in certain areas.

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

I thought we were going to do it provision by provision.

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

That's right.

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON

If we can get consensus—

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Perhaps I can make myself a little bit more clear here.

I cannot move a motion, so I'm looking for somebody at the table to at least suggest an incarnation of the motions, one after another. Then we can begin this debate. I'd like to move on from this preliminary debate to the actual substantive issues of the motions.

So if somebody has the first motion, if somebody wants to move it, then we can move into a discussion, if there is a discussion. If there seems to be a consensus to move and adopt that, I'm happy to do that.

Am I hearing anybody moving the first motion?

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

I'll move point 1, the services of analysts from the Library of Parliament, as per the last Parliament.

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Sorry, that is the one motion that we did pass.

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

We did pass that. Okay.

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

We're looking at number 2 to begin with.

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Then I will move number 2, the motion on the subcommittee on agenda and procedure, that the subcommittee on agenda and procedure be established and be composed of the chair, the two vice-chairs--I think “a member of the other opposition party” should be removed--and the parliamentary secretary, who will not have a vote.

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Is there any discussion or debate?

Mr. Rickford.

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON

I'm just reading from the 40th here, that the subcommittee on agenda and procedure be composed of five members, including the chair, the two vice-chairs, the parliamentary secretary, and a member of the Conservative Party. Quorum of the subcommittee shall consist of....

Is that covered in...?

11:40 a.m.

NDP

John Rafferty NDP Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON

We're just on 2, I think, Greg.

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

Greg Rickford Conservative Kenora, ON

Sorry. Yes.

My bad.

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Ms. Bennett.

11:40 a.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON

I'm not sure; “a member of the other opposition party” doesn't exist, right?