International Trade Committee on Jan. 29th, 2020

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

While we're on the topic of routine motions, I know that at PROC in the last Parliament and at some other committees there was a motion around going in camera.

I'd like to move, based on that motion, that any motion to go in camera should be debatable and amendable, and that the committee may only meet in camera for the following purposes: (a) administrative matters of committee, (b) a draft report, and (c) briefings concerning national security; and furthermore, minutes of in camera meetings should reflect the results of all votes taken by the committee while in camera, including how each member voted when a recorded vote was requested.

As I said, this is something that was in place at PROC in the last Parliament, and I understand that some other committees adopted it. It just gives some guidance to the committee in terms of the conditions under which we would go in camera, and it would be useful, I think, to just establish those ground rules at the outset.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I wonder if we could maybe just park this and tie this in to the election of the vice-chairs. I'd just like to look at this a little more closely. I don't have anything for or against it. I would just like to understand it better.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Sure, and if it's useful I could produce that in writing for the committee and perhaps the clerk would be willing to circulate it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

If you could distribute it early, it would be helpful, and we'll deal with that item, then, on Monday when we deal with the vice-chairs and whatever else.

Are there any further comments or discussion?

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

First of all on behalf of the Conservative Party, I want to welcome you to the chair. Sukh scooped me, because I actually had a little speech in which I was going to talk about the great team they have over there and all the competent people, but how there's one person who I think would be really good at the job. I was also maybe going to make the comment that the previous chair used to bring lobster every once in a while and he took really good care of this committee. You have big shoes to fill, because Mr. Eyking was a really good chair and he took really good care of us. We look forward to working with you in a constructive manner. This has always been a committee that 99.9% of the time has been a very hospitable committee. We got along well, we travelled well together and I can't see any reason why that can't continue moving forward.

We look forward to working with all of the parties here and we welcome the Bloc party to the committee, because they weren't here last time. We have some work to do, so we look forward to getting on to doing that work.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

It should be exciting. It would be really nice if we could get those lobsters by going on a visit.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

It could be a working visit.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

It would be a working visit, of course, rather than my trying to ship the lobsters up here at some point. We'll have to figure out how we're going to deal with all of that.

Thank you, all. It's exciting for all of us to have a new session and there's lots of work ahead of us.

Thank you all very much. The meeting is adjourned.