Justice Committee on Feb. 18th, 2020

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Marc-Olivier Girard]

Honourable members of the committee, I see a quorum.

I must inform members that the clerk of the committee can only receive motions for the election of the chair. The clerk cannot receive other types of motions, cannot entertain points of order, nor participate in debate.

Your first task today is to elect a chair for this committee. Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the government party.

I'm ready to receive motions for the chair.

Yes, Mr. Maloney.

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you, Clerk.

I would like to nominate our colleague Iqra Khalid.

[The Clerk]

We have Mr. Maloney nominating Ms. Khalid.

Are there any further nominations?

Are there any further motions?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Ms. Khalid duly elected chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. I invite her to take a seat beside me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Good morning.

Good afternoon everyone.

Thank you, first, for your trust in me to chair this committee. I'm sure it will be very invigorating and challenging. I've been on this committee for the past four years, and we've had the privilege of tabling some really wonderful reports, most of which were consensus based. We've had a wonderful relationship between all members and really talked about the issues that matter to our community and country. I'm looking forward to having that same kind of consensus and spirit of collaboration as we continue this committee.

With that, I will go on to seeing about the vice-chairs for the committee. I will canvass the room for vice-chairs.

Mr. Maguire.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

I would like to put forward the name of Rob Moore, my colleague.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

I am handing it over to the clerk.

[The Clerk]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

We have Mr. Maguire proposing Mr. Moore.

Are there any further motions?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mr. Moore duly elected first vice-chair of the committee.

Congratulations.

Pursuant to the Standing Orders, the second vice-chair must be a member of an opposition party other than the official opposition.

I'm now ready to receive motions for the second vice-chair.

Mr. Virani, you have the floor.

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

I nominate Mr. Rhéal Fortin of the Bloc Québécois as second vice-chair of the committee.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Mr. Virani, that Mr. Fortin be elected second vice-chair.

Are there any further nominations?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mr. Fortin duly elected second vice-chair of the committee.

Congratulations to all concerned.

That said, I now yield the floor to Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Thank you.

We'll move on to routine motions.

Mr. Maloney.

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I have a number of routine motions that I've had prepared in French and English. I'm going to move the first one shortly, but I'd like to pass it around, with your permission. I will wait a moment until everyone has a copy.

I believe everyone has a copy, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Does everybody have a copy? Yes.

Mr. Maloney, will you continue?

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I move:That the Committee retain, as needed at the discretion of the Chair, the services of one or more analysts from the Library of Parliament to assist in its work.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

All in agreement?

(Motion agreed to)

Can I then invite our wonderful analysts, who have been so amazing over the past four years, to please come and join us at the table?

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I also move:That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be established and be composed of five (5) members; the Chair, one Member from each Party; and that the subcommittee work in the spirit of collaboration.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Are all in agreement?

(Motion agreed to)

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Okay, moving right along, I also move:

That the Chair be authorized to hold meetings to receive evidence and to have that evidence printed when a quorum is not present, provided that at least four (4) members are present, including one member of the opposition and one member of the government, but when travelling outside the parliamentary precinct, that the meeting begin after fifteen (15) minutes, regardless of members present.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Are all in agreement with that?

Mr. Garrison.

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'd like to propose an amendment that would establish that a quorum requires two members of the government and two members of the opposition. I have that text here, which reads as follows:

That the motion be amended by replacing the words “one member of the opposition and one member of the government” with the words “two members of the opposition and two members of the government”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Would you like to circulate that text, please?

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

While it's being circulated, may I speak to it briefly?

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Of course.

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

I think that in a minority Parliament we have to go the extra mile here to work toward getting consensus, and by having a requirement that there be two members of the opposition present, we would go a bit further than we've normally gone in minority parliaments toward achieving that, even if there is no full quorum. That is my reason for proposing the amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Iqra Khalid]

Thank you.

I'm just going to wait until the text is circulated to everybody and then ask if anybody else has any comments to make.

Do all members have the text in front of them? Yes.

Is there any debate on this amendment?

(Amendment agreed to)

(Motion as amended agreed to)

Wonderful.

Can we move on?

Mr. Virani.