Evidence of meeting #2 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Even with the old clause, it doesn't say that the parliamentary secretary can't be on that subcommittee. If that is the issue, we should clarify that too.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
We could take a vote, but I'm sensing, Mr. Carrie, that we don't have the votes on this one.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
I don't think it's anything personal against you.
The clerk does recommend that we change “be established” to “be created”. It's not a big change.
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Under “Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure” she recommends we change it to “be created” rather than “be established”, on the old or the new.
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
More creationist. Is there a reason why? I'm not big on the tyranny of words, but....
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
That's in the new one. I misunderstood that. Okay, we will go with the old one. The old one is in effect on the subcommittee on agenda and procedure. We need a mover for that.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
It is moved by Mr. McTeague and seconded by Ms. Nash.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings]
Now we'll go to “Reduced Quorum”.
Mr. Carrie, would you like to make your argument?
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
The idea behind this one is because we had the opportunity to travel in the last session but sometimes different members couldn't make it. The idea here is that the committee can still hear evidence if we don't quite have quorum. There won't be any voting, but if we've travelled somewhere and we don't have quorum because a number of members couldn't make it, we can still hear evidence. That's the idea behind this one, particularly for travel.
9:20 a.m.
Conservative
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
Mr. Chair, we have two problems with this. Of course, the first would be that a quorum would have a government member. This means that any meeting could effectively be shut down by government members not showing up. The second problem is the insertion here of designation of chair. Of course, with having a government member present, our concern or fear is that it would scuttle any committee meeting from ever taking place if there was a “no show” by government members. So we would naturally oppose this and request that the status quo remain.
November 15th, 2007 / 9:20 a.m.
Bloc
Robert Vincent Bloc Shefford, QC
Mr. Chairman, we are also in favour of the status quo. What could possibly justify starting a hearing 15 minutes later, if we don't have quorum from the very beginning? We will be forced to justify ourselves before witnesses. If only one or two members are present, this is rather insulting for the witnesses appearing before us. Quorum is beneficial for everyone, and it is important. As far as we are concerned, we want to keep the status quo. Thank you.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Thank you.
I'm sensing the status quo is in favour, Mr. Carrie.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
I so move.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
We have “Distribution of Documents”. We have “Designated Chair” in the previous motions and we do not have that in the new motions. Do the members wish to keep that motion?
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
We prefer to maintain where we have been on this for some time. We have no problem with restricting the role of the chair, but in this one the responsibility of the clerk is motion distribution only. I think it should be from the time it is submitted, as opposed to the time the clerk receives it. So we'd prefer to maintain the status quo.
Are you talking about the distribution of documents or are you going back to...?
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
We're doing the designated chair, because the designated chair is not in the new motions but it is in the old motion.
9:25 a.m.
Liberal