Evidence of meeting #1 for International Trade in the 40th 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.
9:05 a.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Jean-Marie David
I see a quorum.
We can now proceed to the election of the chair. I'm ready to receive motions to that effect.
9:05 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Clerk, it may surprise you to learn that although I've had difficulties with chairs of this committee in this past on a number of occasions, there is one past chair who I feel would be exceptional in providing service to this committee and in shepherding us through some rather difficult issues. So I'd like to propose the name of Lee Richardson to act as chair for this committee.
9:05 a.m.
The Clerk
It has been moved by Mr. Julian that Mr. Richardson be elected chair of the committee.
Are there any other motions? Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
(Motion agreed to)
9:05 a.m.
The Clerk
I declare the motion carried and Mr. Richardson elected chair of the committee.
Before inviting Mr. Richardson to take the chair, if the committee wishes, we'll now proceed to the election of the vice-chairs. Are there any motions?
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
Yes, I'd like to move that John Cannis be elected as first vice-chair of the committee.
9:05 a.m.
The Clerk
It has been moved by Mr. Richardson that Mr. Cannis be elected as first vice-chair of the committee.
Are there any other motions? Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
(Motion agreed to)
9:05 a.m.
The Clerk
We'll now move to the election of the second vice-chair. Are there any motions?
Monsieur Guimond.
9:05 a.m.
Bloc
9:05 a.m.
The Clerk
It has been moved by Mr. Guimond that Mr. Cardin be elected second vice-chair.
Are there any other motions?
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
(Motion carried to)
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
Thank you, committee. I'm humbled and looking forward to it. I think we're going to have an interesting session. We certainly have lots on the agenda. We have lots from our previous round and lots of interesting stuff coming up as early as today, it seems.
I wonder if we might just introduce everybody who we're going to have as our new clerk and those assisting us. Michael is back.
Gentlemen, for those of you who haven't met her, I'd like to first introduce Angela Crandall, who will be our new clerk.
You were explaining to me that this will be a transition period.
9:05 a.m.
The Clerk
Exactly. Jean-Marie David will be the clerk of the committee, but he's a new clerk so I will be assisting him for the first few months and then he will be your clerk. I'm with the foreign affairs committee, so we'll be working on both committees for a while, but Jean-Marie will eventually be your clerk.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
Great.
You all remember Michael Holden, who has been our analyst. He will be assisted by Robert Dufresne as the volume dictates.
We need a motion to bring these analysts on board.
Before we start that, we're going to run through these routine motions, the first of which is for the services of analysts from the Library of Parliament. Then we might have a very quick discussion about where we go from here. If there isn't any other business, let's proceed with the agreed motions.
The first one is pretty routine, so while they're passing it out, let me read it to you. It is that the committee retain, as needed and at the discretion of the chair, the services of one or more analysts from the Library of Parliament to assist the committee in its work.
May I have a motion in that regard?
February 5th, 2009 / 9:10 a.m.
Conservative
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
Does anybody want to have a quick look at this, or will we just go through them one by one?
On reduced quorum, the only difference I see here is that the last time it was three members. For some reason or other, somebody wants us to be allowed to take evidence with four members present.
The other one is when we're travelling and we have witnesses appearing, and some of the committee members don't get there, we're not going to....
Mr. Cannis.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
John Cannis Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
On the four members, is that standard now? Can the clerk tell us if it's like that with other committees as well, or just our committee?
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
It's hard to say whether it's standard or not because we just started committees this week. I don't have any problem with it.
Mr. Julian.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
I'd be more comfortable proceeding the way we've always functioned with three members, including one member of the opposition.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Dick Harris Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Does that mean there were three opposition members and no government members?
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Gerald Keddy Conservative South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS
No, there was one member of the government.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll respond to Mr. Harris, because he is from the government. We always have the government present when there are committee meetings.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Yes, but the chair also represents the Conservative caucus. So the way we've functioned is to have three members, including one member of the opposition.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Dick Harris Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
That doesn't fly. The chair is the chair of the committee representing Parliament, notwithstanding that he's a member of the governing party. He's a neutral member of this committee, or should be, the same as vice-chairs. So when I say “a member of the government”, I mean one member of the government sitting on this side in that formula.
