Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Feb. 18th, 2020

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Evelyn Lukyniuk]

Honourable committee members, I see a quorum.

I must inform members that the clerk of the committee can only receive motions for the election of the chair. The clerk cannot receive other types of motions, cannot entertain points of order nor participate in debate.

We can now proceed to the election of the chair. Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the governing party. I am ready to receive motions for the chair.

Mr. Battiste.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Yes, I nominate Bob Bratina to be the chair.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Mr. Battiste that Mr. Bratina be elected as chair of the committee. Are there any further motions?

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

I would just like to second that motion.

[The Clerk]

Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mr. Bratina duly elected chair of the committee.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Clerk]

I invite Mr. Bratina to take the chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you very much.

As the chair, I am going to ask the committee to proceed to the election of the vice-chairs. Do I have any motions?

[Gary Vidal, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

I nominate Jamie Schmale as the vice-chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Are there any further nominations?

(Motion agreed to)

Congratulations, Mr. Vice-Chair.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Now we proceed to the election of the second vice-chair. Is there a motion, please?

[Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

I would like to nominate myself, Mumilaaq Qaqqaq.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Could someone else...?

[An hon. member]

I would like to nominate Mumilaaq Qaqqaq.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you very much.

Are there any other motions?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Chair, we'd like to defer this matter—nomination of the second vice-chair—to the next meeting please.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

The request is that we do this at the next meeting. What's the pleasure of the committee?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

We'll take that matter up at our next meeting. Thank you very much.

Go ahead.

[Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

I'd like to know the reasoning behind that. Is that possible?

It's something that we can get done today, so we may as well....

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Mr. Anandasangaree, would you comment, please?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Sure.

My understanding is that the procedure and House affairs committee is seized with this, in terms of vice-chairs between the Bloc and the NDP. I think it would be appropriate, once they make the decision, that we then vote based on the decision of PROC.

My understanding is that this matter is now before PROC to see which party will have a vice-chair on all of the committees. Until that is determined, I think it would be appropriate for us to wait. Out of respect to both parties, it would be appropriate for us to defer the decision until PROC has finalized that decision.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Is that understood?

What I'm hearing is that this is not something personal about an individual. It's about procedural matters.

[Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Yes, I understand, but I still don't see the reason that the decision can't be made today. I am one of two indigenous peoples on this committee, and I see no better fit than me for second vice-chair.

I see it as a tactic to hold things up. That's just my personal view.