Justice Committee on March 9th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Understood.

So the assumption will be that we have a meal available during our meeting. All right?

Ms. Mendes.

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

I suggest that they be served on this side of the room only, not over by the coffee table, so that the physical separation makes it really clear that they are for committee members only.

It's just a question of making it less available to the participants.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Yes, that's fair comment.

Mr. Woodworth.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

You've mentioned the possibility that the Thursday meeting would be devoted to the steering committee. I just wanted to confirm whether we can now assume that, and that non-steering committee members need not attend.

If you needed a motion to that effect, I'd certainly be prepared to move it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

All right. You make that motion.

Is everyone in agreement with that motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

All right. A steering committee will be held on Thursday, which means that all the other members of the committee don't have to attend.

[An hon. member]

This Thursday?

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Yes, this Thursday we wouldn't have a full meeting, just steering committee.

Monsieur Petit.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Chair, I would like to go back to the matter of the meals that are served while we are sitting. I have been through this with other committees. I, along with several of my colleagues, have noticed that people are moving around for almost an hour. We have to realize that, sometimes, witnesses come from some distance away. If I am having my lunch at the back of the room, for example, I cannot hear them and I cannot understand what is being said. We are being disturbed for almost three quarters of an hour, sometimes as much as an hour. I think that would obstruct our work on justice. When you call witnesses, it might perhaps be good if we could take a break for half an hour and then hear from the witnesses. When I was at the back of the room, there were several times when I could not hear the translation and had a hard time following. I think that this is important, out of respect for the witnesses.

Imagine if Mr. LeBlanc was asking a witness questions and all the Conservative members got up to get lunch. It would be disrespectful to the witnesses. We cannot do that. I would like you to find a solution. So my suggestion is that the committee and the witnesses break for half an hour. We could continue after that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

We could spend a lot of time debating this.

I would be uncomfortable with breaking for that half-hour because we have only two hours available to us. I think we've had meals in the past. Other committees do the same thing. When we can, we fit it in. If you're asking questions of witnesses, obviously you're not going to go back there, but it does provide room for other members of the committee.

Let's deal with it as it comes along. If it does become disruptive, I'm prepared to reconsider it, but I think the normal practice has been that we just go back there whenever it suits us, fill our plates, and bring them back.

Is that acceptable to everyone?

[Some hon. members]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

All right.

Monsieur Lemay.

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

I will just add that it would be appropriate for the chair to make a comment at the beginning of the session, so that our guests know that a meal will be served. So it may well be that members will get up. But they will not be leaving to get something to eat, with the committee sitting until 1:00 p.m. I tried this with three other committees. It works very well.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

I'll ask the clerk to remind me of that.

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Thank you.

Are there other comments? Is there anything else you want to discuss before we adjourn?

All right. We're adjourned.