Evidence of meeting #1 for International Trade in the 41st 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.
Conservative
NDP
Ève Péclet NDP La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
I know that I am the only woman on this committee.
I'm sorry. I'm the only woman on the committee, so I would just like.... I don't know how to say it in English, so I'll say it in French.
I simply want to ensure respect for equality, during questions. I am the only woman. I just wanted to mention it, that is all.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
I'm sorry, as the chair I didn't have my mike in, so I'm not exactly sure.... It didn't come through in English or French.
I'll carry on. Is there any other discussion on it? We're all good?
NDP
Ève Péclet NDP La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
It's not a choice of my party. It's me only. It's my feminine side.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Okay. We're talking about working meals. That's the motion.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
I will entertain a motion on witness expenses. It is moved by Mr. Holder.
Is there any discussion?
Go ahead, Mr. Keddy.
Conservative
Gerald Keddy Conservative South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS
With regard to witness expenses, I and all of us at committee have seen that sometimes an organization will send two witnesses when it doesn't really have to send two. Wherever possible, one witness from an organization usually is enough expense for the committee to pay. If we sometimes need two, at the discretion of the chair, that would be fine, but whenever possible, I think one witness per organization is generally enough if we're paying expenses for them. If they're paying their own expenses, they can bring as many as they want.
Conservative
Conservative
Gerald Keddy Conservative South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS
Yes. It would be at the discretion of the chair.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
It's just determining how many we need, which you wouldn't put here, but that's a good debate.
Go ahead, Mr. Shipley.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
I don't know if it has to be noted or not, but some other committees are using video conferencing. Having video conferencing is as appropriate, quite honestly, as having somebody sit at the end of the table. Sometimes votes will come on in the middle of a committee, and they sit, and we've paid thousands of dollars to bring them in. If we can use video, I think we should be doing that.
Conservative
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
It's not in the motion, but that's a good debate that we can have at another time.
As far as the motion goes, are we all in favour?
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The next routine motion concerns staff at in camera meetings. It is moved as it is presented here by Mr. Cannan.
Mr. Cannan, do you have anything to add to that?
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Which motion...?
Mr. Ravignat, could you just read out what you would like to have? That would help us.
NDP
Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC
The motion reads as follows: that unless otherwise ordered, each committee member be allowed to have one staff member present from their office and from their party at in camera meetings.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Let's open that up to debate. Which is it that you are putting, “and” or “or”?
Conservative
Devinder Shory Conservative Calgary Northeast, AB
If we agree to a staff member of the member and a member of the party, as clarification, will that basically allow us to bring six staff members and six members from the party?
