Subcommittee on International Human Rights Committee on Oct. 19th, 2010

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Julie Pelletier]

Distinguished members of the subcommittee,

I see a quorum. We can now proceed to the election of the chair.

Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Julie Pelletier. I've been a clerk since 2007, and I have been working at the international and interparliamentary affairs directorate for three years. I am very pleased to be replacing my colleague, Julie Lalande Prud’homme, as the clerk of this subcommittee.

I am now ready to receive nominations for the position of chair.

Mr. Silva, you have the floor.

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

I would like to nominate Mr. Scott Reid.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Mr. Silva that Mr. Reid be elected chair of the subcommittee.

Are there any other motions?

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

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mr. Reid duly elected chair of the subcommittee.

Before inviting Mr. Reid to take the chair, we will now proceed to the election of vice-chairs. I'm now prepared to receive motions for first vice-chair.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Madam Clerk, my suggestion is Mr. Silva for vice-chair.

[The Clerk]

Mr. Sweet moves that Mr. Silva be elected first vice-chair of the subcommittee.

Are there any other motions?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mr. Silva duly elected first vice-chair of the subcommittee.

I am now ready to receive nominations for the position of second vice-chair.

Mr. Marston moves that...

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

I'm hearing only French, so I don't know what you said.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Mr. Marston that--

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

I nominate Madame Deschamps.

[The Clerk]

--Madame Deschamps be elected first vice-chair of the subcommittee.

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

It would be second vice-chair, would it not? You just said “first”.

[The Clerk]

Oh, “second”. You are correct. I'm sorry.

Are there any further motions?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Madame Deschamps duly elected second vice-chair of the subcommittee.

I now invite Mr. Reid to take the chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

And there was much rejoicing.

Go ahead, Mr. Silva, please.

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, congratulations.

Unfortunately, we have lost a lot of time here in the committee because of these procedures. Every year we have to elect a new chair and establish a new committee. We have to wait for the foreign affairs committee. Valuable time has been lost. I'm hoping we can use whatever time is remaining to do some business and also to look at the planning for future meetings. I ask, if it's okay with members, that we continue with the meeting in order to establish what our priorities are going to be for the future.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Go ahead, Mr. Marston.

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

I don't want to be a fly in the ointment here, but I had a couple of proposals that I didn't bring with me because I understood it was only going to be the election of the chair. That's what the agenda said. There's a study I'd like to propose to the committee. Could I do it without giving it to you in advance, then?

Has the clerk received my proposals for a study on North Korean refugees in China?

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

She's indicating “no”. She hasn't seen it.

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

We understood it was going to be only this business.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

May I make a suggestion to the members of the committee?

First of all, are we in camera or are we in public right now?

[A voice]

We are in public.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

We're in public right now.

Here's what I suggest, and then we'll see if it's agreeable to members of the committee.

I was going to suggest a few things. One is to review the rules, the bylaws, that we passed.

Second, I suggest we establish our schedule of meetings. By that I mean what days of the week and what hours of the day we'll meet.

My third suggestion is that we go through the correspondence that either the subcommittee clerk has received since our last meeting or that I have received and thought appropriate to pass on to the subcommittee clerk, but that we not make any decisions about specific items of future business.

Is that reasonable to the group?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Chair, could we also include putting on the table the issues we'd like to discuss in the next little while? We don't have to have a vote or decision on it, but this will at least let the members know some of the topics that members are interested in dealing with, so that when we have the next meeting everything will be on the table.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

I don't see anything wrong with that, if it's just being done where we're all on a level playing field. So if you're just proposing that someone would make a verbal suggestion.... Mr. Marston could do that as well.

Let's start with the schedule. Last year we met at this time and also on Thursdays at this hour, from one to two, two hours a week. This is an unusual time. It does have some disadvantages; it has some advantages. The chief advantages are that we can usually meet over in the Centre Block, meaning we can get to Question Period easily. Things may have changed, but last year, anyway, for those who were members of the committee then, it worked with their schedules. There were no conflicts. So unless there is an objection, I'm suggesting that we continue those hours: Tuesday, one to two, and Thursday, one to two.

Does that seem reasonable to folks?

Mr. Hiebert.

[Russ Hiebert, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC]

Would there be some interest in entertaining changing the Thursday meeting to Wednesday at one o'clock?

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Let's find out.