Subcommittee on International Human Rights Committee on Oct. 20th, 2020

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I was going through some of the routine motions. On the one that we're talking about right now, in terms of witnesses, I do appreciate Mr. Zuberi's intervention. I think that having the five minutes is good. I, of course, agree with MP Reid that there should be that discretion to be empathetic and to recognize the challenges some of our witnesses will have with that five minutes. However, I would like to also amend it to add “that wherever possible witnesses provide the committee with their opening statements 72 hours in advance”. That does provide us with some support, although not necessarily for those who are speaking about their own personal experience. As those of us who were on the committee last session know, some of the statements could not have been limited to a written statement, and we would not have wanted that. But when possible, I think it would be good to have that 72 hours in advance to be able to hear and think through our questions a little bit better.

Following that, in terms of the allocated time for each question, at the moment my understanding is, just to be clear, that we have seven minutes for the first questioner of each party, and thereafter five minutes allocated to each subsequent questioner, alternating between government and opposition parties. Just to ensure the Bloc and NDP actually do get a second chance to ask questions, I'm wondering whether or not it would be possible to change “alternating between Government and Opposition parties” to a list like “Liberal Party, Conservative Party, Bloc Québecois, New Democratic Party”. That's what I would like to propose.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Okay.

Is that what you were putting on the table, Mr. Zuberi, in allocating time to the parties?

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

For the allocation of time, that's a friendly amendment. And also with respect to the 72 hours, that's friendly. So if you propose it as friendly, I'll accept it as such.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I propose it as friendly.

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

It is.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Okay. Wonderful.

I just want to say that there are some witnesses who may not be able to put forward their submission, their testimony, 72 hours beforehand. We understand that for last-minute, or whatever other, circumstances there are, they may not be able to do that. We would still bring them on as witnesses but not have their testimony in writing before us.

Is that okay? Yes. Okay.

Before I go to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, let me just say that I have a twin on the screen here. It's an identical twin: Iqra Khalid-Fonseca or Peter Fonseca-Khalid, squished. They've given us both the same name there.

Iqra, if you want to take my name, I'd be honoured.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I don't know how to change it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Perhaps someone could fix that.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

That's a really awkward proposal there, Peter.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I don't know if the IT people are on it, and I don't know if everybody can see it, but I do see my name under Iqra's screen there.

As they try to fix that, we will go to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe and then Mr. Chiu.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Ms. McPherson was quicker on the trigger than I was in bringing up the speaking time allocated to each party.

I think we've discussed this before. This is a transpartisan committee; we always endeavour to reach a consensus. Basically, we want everyone to have an equal opportunity to speak. Ms. McPherson already raised the issue. We want everyone on the subcommittee to have a fair chance to speak, and that's never been a problem in the past.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I think we all agree with that. What we're trying to find...is to build in that opportunity and flexibility with this new allocation, to be able to make that happen.

Thank you, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.

Now we'll move to Mr. Chiu and then Ms. Khalid.

[Kenny Chiu, Conservative, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Congratulations, sir.

[Kenny Chiu, Conservative, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Thank you, and congratulations to you too.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

I meant to congratulate you, as well, Mr. Chair. My apologies, I forgot to mention that.

[Kenny Chiu, Conservative, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

I think in principle we do agree with the amendments that have been proposed. The only concern I have is that, with the 72-hour requirement, we apply the same discretion that we have shown with the time limit on opening statements. A lot of our witnesses may not be professional, as MP Reid has said. They may not be able to provide a written statement within the 72-hour window.

Secondly, we support the arrangement so that the NDP and the Bloc will have the ability to speak as well.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, Mr. Chiu. I think we are all in agreement with that.

Ms. Khalid.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Over the past five years that I've been sitting on this subcommittee, what I have appreciated the most about it is that we are a consensus-based committee. Like all chairs in the past, Mr. Chair, you have been very fair with your allocation of time. As a subcommittee, we have a really short chunk of time. I've seen that whenever we run out of time, we divide whatever time is left quite equally amongst all parties, making sure everybody gets the opportunity to speak. I understand and appreciate the concern of everybody who is raising it here, but I'm hoping we'll continue with our tradition of consensus. I'm hoping we'll continue to work together quite collaboratively. I think the language that Mr. Zuberi has proposed with respect to “at the discretion of the chair” at the bottom of the motion should take all of that into account.

Mr. Chair, I'm happy that we're hoping to move forward on a consensus basis, and I know you'll do the right thing with respect to time allocation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, Ms. Khalid.

Does anybody else want to speak to the routine motions? No? I don't see anybody.

As we've seen over the last number of minutes, we are already working with a consensus-based approach. We've taken a great first step and we will continue to do that.

I'm seeing consensus on the adoption of the routine motions. Yes?

(Motions agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

It looks like there's Kumbaya harmony here.

Clerk, from here I don't know where we move. I'm just looking to you on whether we have other discussions about any other future business or whether there's something prior to this that needs to be brought in.

[The Clerk]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I did want to double-check with the members of the subcommittee really quickly to make sure that I had everything recorded properly.

If I could, I will reread the “Questioning of Witnesses” motion I have so that I'm sure everyone understands the same thing. It would read:

That, at the discretion of the Chair, witnesses be given five minutes for their opening statement; that, at the discretion of the Chair, during the questioning of witnesses, there be allocated seven minutes for the first questioner of each party; and that thereafter five minutes be allocated to each subsequent questioner alternating between Government and Opposition parties;

—I think that part stays the same—

and that wherever possible, witnesses provide their statements 72 hours in advance.

Is that everybody's understanding?

Mr. Chair, I believe Ms. McPherson has something to say.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I believe that our chair's Zoom feed may be frozen.

[The Clerk]

Yes, I believe that's correct. In that case, while we get that sorted out, Mr. Chiu, since you are the first vice-chair, would you be able to suspend the meeting until we get him back, please?

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Kenny Chiu]

Okay. The meeting is suspended until we have the chair back.