I second that nomination.
Evidence of meeting #1 for International Trade in the 44th 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.
Evidence of meeting #1 for International Trade in the 44th 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.
3:35 p.m.
The Clerk
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
(Motion agreed to)
I declare the motion carried and Mr. Savard‑Tremblay duly elected second vice‑chair of the committee.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Thank you very much to all of you for your support. For all of us who are chairs and vice-chairs, we all look forward to starting our new process and doing some really serious work together. I think we have a great membership here on the committee, and I'm pleased to get started.
Today's meeting, of course, is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of November 25. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application. The proceedings will be made available via the House of Commons website. Just so that you are aware, the webcast will always show the person speaking rather than the entire committee.
I want to take this opportunity to remind all participants in the meeting that screenshots or taking photos of your screen are not permitted.
Given the ongoing pandemic situation, and in light of the recommendations from health authorities, as well as the directive of the Board of Internal Economy on October 19 to remain healthy and safe, all those attending the meeting in person are to maintain two-metre physical distancing and must wear a non-medical mask when circulating in the room. It's highly recommended that the mask be worn at all times, including when seated. You must maintain proper hand hygiene by using the provided hand sanitizer that is at the entrance to the room. As the chair, I will be enforcing those measures for the duration of the meeting, and I thank members in advance for their co-operation.
To ensure an orderly meeting, I have to outline a few rules to follow. For members participating on Zoom, you may speak in the official language of your choice. Interpretation services are available for this meeting. You have the choice at the bottom of your screen of either English or French. If interpretation is lost, please inform me immediately, and we will ensure interpretation is properly restored before resuming the proceedings. The “raise hand” feature at the bottom of the screen can be used at any time if you wish to speak or alert the chair.
For members participating in person, proceed as you usually would when the whole committee is meeting in person at the committee room.
Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. If you are on video conferencing, please click on the microphone icon to unmute yourself. For those in the room, your microphones will be controlled as normal by the proceedings and verification officer. When speaking, please speak slowly and clearly. When you are not speaking your mike should be on mute. I remind you that all comments by members and witnesses should be addressed through the chair.
With regard to the speaking list, the committee clerk and I will do the best we can to maintain a consolidated order of speaking for all members, whether they are participating virtually or in person.
Thank you for all that.
With the agreement of the committee, does the committee want to proceed with the consideration of routine motions? All right, we have consensus.
The committee clerk has circulated a list of the routine motions that the committee adopted in the last session of the previous Parliament, and as a reminder, a motion must be moved by a committee member.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
We haven't seen those from the clerk. Are they providing a physical copy here in the room?
3:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
I'm looking at the clerk. Were the routine motions supplied to all of the members?
3:40 p.m.
The Clerk
They were distributed with the welcome email. I can redistribute them right now—
3:40 p.m.
The Clerk
I don't have any physical copies right now, but I can endeavour to get some. I will redistribute them electronically right away.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
3:40 p.m.
Liberal
3:40 p.m.
Liberal
Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON
I was prepared to move them. I can read them into the record, dividing my time in each official language if that assists. I have a hard copy of what I'm going to read here as well, so you can make a photocopy of that after the fact, if that assists.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
I'd prefer to have them in front of me as you read them.
3:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Mr. Hoback doesn't have a copy.
How long would it take, Madam Clerk, to get some copies?
3:40 p.m.
The Clerk
Perhaps we can suspend for about five minutes.
3:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Okay, I'm going to suggest that we suspend. I see that some people have them and some don't. In order to go through them, we all should have them in a paper copy in front of us. I'm going to move that we suspend for five minutes, and the clerk will get us copies as quickly as possible.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
You've had a chance to read the routine motions.
Mr. Virani, you're going to read them into the record. Would the committee want to vote on all of the routine motions at the end of their being read in, or do you want to vote on them individually?
Unless there's an objection, we'll continue, and if there's an area that's a problem, please make sure that you flag it, and we'll discuss it at that time.
Mr. Virani, please go ahead.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
The first routine motion deals with analyst services:
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 it in its work.
The second part of the routine motions is respecting the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure:
That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be established and be composed of five members; the Chair, one member from each recognized party; and that the subcommittee work in a spirit of collaboration.
The third motion relates to meetings without a quorum:
That the Chair be authorized to hold meetings to receive evidence and to have that evidence published when a quorum is not present, provided that at least four members are present, including two members of the opposition parties and two members of the government party, but when travelling outside the Parliamentary Precinct, that the meeting begin after 15 minutes, regardless of members present.
The fourth motion relates to time for opening remarks and questioning of witnesses:
That witnesses be given five minutes for their opening statement; that whenever possible, witnesses provide the committee with their opening statement 72 hours in advance; that at the discretion of the Chair, during the questioning of witnesses, there be allocated six minutes for the first questioner of each party as follows for the first round:
Conservative Party
Liberal Party
Bloc Québécois
New Democratic Party
For the second and subsequent rounds, the order and time for questioning be as follows:
Conservative Party, five minutes
Liberal Party, five minutes
Bloc Québécois, two and a half minutes
New Democratic Party, two and a half minutes
Conservative Party, five minutes
Liberal Party, five minutes.
The fifth motion deals with document distribution:
That only the clerk of the committee be authorized to distribute documents to members of the committee provided the documents are in both official languages, and that the witnesses be advised accordingly.
The sixth motion concerns working meals:
That the clerk of the committee, at the discretion of the Chair, be authorized to make the necessary arrangements to provide working meals for the committee and its subcommittees.
I'll add parenthetically that any additional cost that arises thereto respecting lobsters will be the sole purview of the chair.
3:55 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON
The seventh motion deals with travel, accommodation and living expenses of witnesses:
That, if requested, reasonable travel, accommodation and living expenses be reimbursed to witnesses not exceeding two representatives per organization; and that in exceptional circumstances, payment for more representatives be made at the discretion of the Chair.
The eighth motion concerns access to in camera meetings:
That, unless otherwise ordered, each committee member be allowed to be accompanied by one staff member at in camera meetings and that one additional person from each House officer's office be allowed to be present.
The ninth motion deals with transcripts of in camera meetings:
That one copy of the transcript of each in camera meeting be kept in the committee clerk’s office for consultation by members of the committee or by their staff; and that the analysts assigned to the committee also have access to the in camera transcripts.
The 10th motion relates to notices of motion:
That a 48‑hour notice, interpreted as two nights, be required for any substantive motion to be moved in committee, unless the substantive motion relates directly to business then under consideration, provided that: (a) the notice be filed with the clerk of the committee no later than 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday; (b) the motion be distributed to Members and the offices of the whips of each recognized party in both official languages by the clerk on the same day the said notice was transmitted if it was received no later than the deadline hour; (c) notices received after the deadline hour or on non‑business days be deemed to have been received during the next business day; and that when the committee is holding meetings outside the Parliamentary Precinct, no substantive motion may be moved.
I forgot which number I'm on. I think it's 11, which deals with the orders of reference from the House respecting bills:
That in relation to orders of reference from the House respecting Bills,
(a) The clerk of the committee shall, upon the committee receiving such an order of reference, write to each member who is not a member of a caucus represented on the committee to invite those members to file with the clerk of the committee, in both official languages, any amendments to the bill, which is the subject of the said Order, which they would suggest that the committee consider;
(b) Suggested amendments filed, pursuant to paragraph (a), at least 48 hours prior to the start of clause-by-clause consideration of the bill to which the amendments relate shall be deemed to be proposed during the said consideration, provided that the committee may, by motion, vary this deadline in respect of a given bill; and
(c) During the clause-by-clause consideration of a bill, the Chair shall allow a member who filed suggested amendments, pursuant to paragraph (a), an opportunity to make brief representations in support of them.
The 12th motion concerns technical tests for witnesses:
That the clerk inform each witness who is to appear before the committee that the House administration support team must conduct technical tests to check the connectivity and the equipment used to ensure the best possible sound quality; and that the Chair advise the committee, at the start of each meeting, of any witness who did not perform the required technical tests.
The thirteenth deals with linguistic review:
That all documents submitted for committee business that do not come from a federal department, members' offices, or that have not been translated by the Translation Bureau be sent for prior linguistic review by the Translation Bureau before being distributed to members.
Lastly, the 14th motion concerns the appearance of ministers:
That whenever a minister appears before the committee, every effort should be made in order for the meeting to be televised.
That is the end of my submissions. Those are the propositions that I believe we have the consent of all parties on, so that is what I would propose to be the routine motions to be passed by the committee at this time.
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Are there any concerns or discussions?
Mr. Virani has moved—
Yes, Mr. Savard-Tremblay.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
I have just one question: Why was the last routine motion in the documents we received, the one on in camera proceedings, not read?
4 p.m.
Bloc
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Actually, I just had a question about this motion: Why are we talking about unanimous consent rather than a majority vote?