Evidence of meeting #1 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:50 p.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Roger Préfontaine
Honourable members of the committee, 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 government party.
I am ready to receive motions for the chair.
Mr. Longfield.
3:50 p.m.
The Clerk
It has been moved by Mr. Longfield that Dan Ruimy be elected chair.
Are there any further motions?
There being no further motions, I declare Mr. Ruimy duly elected chair of the committee.
(Motion agreed to)
The chair being in agreement, I will proceed with the election of the vice-chair. The first vice-chair must be a member of the official opposition.
I am prepared to receive motions for the first vice-chair.
Mr. Nuttall.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
The Clerk
Mr. Nuttall has moved that Mr. Dreeshen be elected first vice-chair.
Are there any further motions?
There being no further motions, I declare Mr. Dreeshen first vice-chair of the committee.
(Motion agreed to)
I am now prepared to receive motions for the second vice-chair, who must be a member of an official party other than the official opposition.
Mr. Arya.
3:50 p.m.
The Clerk
It has been moved that Mr. Masse be elected second vice-chair.
(Motion agreed to)
We can now proceed to the routine motions.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Dan Ruimy
Thank you very much, everybody. Welcome to sunny, snowy Ottawa.
We're going to move ahead now and proceed with routine motions that we can adopt. Does everyone have a copy?
Mr. Arseneault.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
The motion reads as follows:
That the Committee retain the services of one or more analysts from the Library of Parliament, as needed, to assist the Committee in its work, and that these services may be requested at the discretion of the Chair.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Dan Ruimy
Is the motion adopted?
(Motion agreed to)
I'd like to ask Mathieu Frigon and André Léonard to come up to the front.
3:55 p.m.
Some hon. members
Hear, hear!
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Dan Ruimy
We'll move on to motion B, Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure. Does anybody want to move that?
Mr. Arya.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Chandra Arya Liberal Nepean, ON
I move:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of 5 members, including the Chair, the 2 Vice-chairs, and 2 Government Members; that quorum of the Subcommittee shall consist of at least three (3) members with at least one being from the Opposition; that each member of the Subcommittee shall be permitted to have one assistant attend any meetings of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure; and that, in addition, each party shall be permitted to have one staff member from Whip's Office attend any meetings.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer—Mountain View, AB
On that particular point, there have been precedents in other committees to not actually hold a subcommittee but to have it as part of the general discussion. I've seen five members there versus the 10 that we have here. I think that we should be able to handle future committee business using that approach. I would suggest that maybe we rethink it. I know that this has been there in the past, but it isn't necessarily standard.
The other point I would look at is to read through that “at least one being from the Opposition”.
I am not sure whether that was clear. Perhaps Mr. Masse would like to speak to that and whether that means the official opposition or anybody who is on the opposition side.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Chandra Arya Liberal Nepean, ON
This morning, I had a meeting with the public accounts committee chaired by a Conservative member, and we did have the subcommittee on agenda. The operations of the subcommittee are usually by consensus. If there is disagreement there on any particular issue, it comes to the committee as whole and will be discussed again. The opposition member can be any opposition member, Conservative or NDP.
4 p.m.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
To me, it's not a big deal either way. There were very few subcommittee meetings on agenda and procedure in the past, because it was seen as another meeting. The attempt was to include all members so that we all had the same information.
A lot of times, the chair would decide whether to bring it right to committee or not. I would prefer not to have that, unless it's necessary. If we implement this, I think it would be for exceptional circumstances, as opposed to creating an extra, redundant meeting.
I've been on this committee for about eight years off and on during my years here, and it has a good history of co-operation. It's one of the ones that's known for that. With discretion, I think that we can sometimes avoid the subcommittee elements. Again, I'm open to doing it or not. I think it would be better for all of us if we had fewer of those meetings rather than more.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Alex Nuttall Conservative Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON
My understanding was that, with regard to opposition members, it just said that it could be any opposition member, not necessarily an official opposition member. That is what I read on the piece of paper with the large O. Can we just confirm that?
4 p.m.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
If we do move forward with this, I would like two vice-chairs of both opposition parties. The intent has always been there with this is to include that. I would like that to be clear as part of the motion because it does us no good having one party out in the dark fighting to get space at a committee and then chewing up time with our witnesses because you are now dealing with things that were discussed without all parties being involved.
That's what has happened in the past sometimes in some committees. It hasn't happened in this committee, but that would be my concern. Obviously, if I'm not included in subcommittee meetings, then I'm going to have lots of questions about things that take place in the subcommittee.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer—Mountain View, AB
Having read that, I agree with what Brian has said. When it does talk about the two vice-chairs, I haven't been in this position as a vice-chair very long, so I wasn't thinking about that. I believe that it would probably cover it.
It still doesn't change my original feeling about five of us working together there when there are only 10 of us that could be dealing with the issues. That means then that you don't have to continually update the group. My position is still the same on the other, but I can handle the word “opposition”, recognizing that I'm actually one of those who is going to be on this committee, should it be held.
