Evidence of meeting #1 for Justice and Human Rights in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was garrison.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Marc-Olivier Girard
Julia Nicol  Committee Researcher

11:10 a.m.

The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Marc-Olivier Girard

Honourable members of the committee, I can now see a quorum.

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

We can now proceed to the election of the chair. As you know, pursuant to the Standing Orders, the chair must be a member of the governing party.

I am now ready to receive motions for the chair position.

11:10 a.m.

Liberal

James Maloney Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON

Mr. Clerk, I'm glad to be back and to see everybody here. I'm looking forward to picking up where we left off earlier in the year.

In that spirit, I would like to nominate Iqra Khalid, who can continue leading us as she did previously.

11:10 a.m.

The Clerk

Mr. Maloney has nominated Ms. Khalid for chair of the committee.

Are there any further motions?

(Motion agreed to)

11:10 a.m.

The Clerk

I declare the motion carried and Ms. Khalid duly elected chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Congratulations, Ms. Khalid.

11:10 a.m.

Bloc

Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC

I also congratulate you, Madam Chair.

11:10 a.m.

The Clerk

Before asking the newly elected chair to take the chair and proceed with her welcoming speech, I would like to ask the permission of the committee to proceed with the election of the first vice-chair and the second vice-chair.

According to the Standing Orders, the first vice-chair must be a member of the official opposition. I am now prepared to receive motions for the first vice-chair.

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

I would like to nominate Rob Moore.

11:10 a.m.

The Clerk

Mr. Cooper has nominated Mr. Moore for first vice-chair of the committee.

Are there any further motions?

(Motion agreed to)

11:10 a.m.

The Clerk

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

Congratulations, Mr. Moore.

11:10 a.m.

Liberal

Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

I would like to move a motion for the election of the second vice-chair.

11:10 a.m.

The Clerk

Okay, Mr. Zuberi. Go ahead, please.

11:10 a.m.

Liberal

Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

I nominate Rhéal Fortin, of the Bloc Québécois, for second vice-chair of our committee.

11:10 a.m.

The Clerk

Mr. Zuberi has nominated Mr. Fortin for second vice-chair of the committee.

Are there any further motions?

I see that Mr. Kelloway has raised his hand. Is it with regard to this?

11:10 a.m.

Liberal

Mike Kelloway Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

No, it's not.

11:10 a.m.

The Clerk

There are no further motions. Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt this motion to elect Mr. Fortin second vice-chair of the committee?

(Motion agreed to)

11:15 a.m.

The Clerk

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

Congratulations, Mr. Fortin.

I now invite Ms. Khalid to take her virtual chair and continue with this meeting's deliberations.

October 15th, 2020 / 11:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid

Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

Thank you for your confidence in me to continue to lead this committee. It's going to be a very heavy agenda for all of us. That means there's going to be a lot of work.

I started this committee in February with the promise that I will do my best to be as transparent, as non-partisan, as neutral and as forthcoming as I can be as a chair. I look forward to continuing my work that way. I'm hoping there are a number of things that we would be able to do in order for us to really be collaborative and to work together in how we put forward important legislation that will impact Canadians on a daily basis.

One thing I do propose, and you can discuss this now or at a later time, is that when we vote, we do it in alphabetical order, regardless of party. It would be a great way for us to set the tone of having a non-partisan discussion and operation in how we conduct ourselves.

I understand that there are routine motion proceedings at this time. Do I have any hands raised to bring forward routine motions?

Go ahead, Mr. Kelloway.

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

Mike Kelloway Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

Thank you, Madam Chair, and congratulations to you and the vice-chairs. It's nice to meet everybody.

I move to readopt all routine motions from the previous session. If it's the choosing of the chair, I can read those off.

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid

Mr. Kelloway, thank you for that.

Mr. Garrison, I understand that you had sent a notice of motion. I'm not sure if it was in order, because the chair had not been elected. I'm not sure whether the committee was able to receive motions at that time, but I do understand that you would be proposing some amendments to the routine motions that we had adopted in the past.

Mr. Kelloway, if that's okay, how about if we go point by point, if you just want to raise them by point? Then, once we get to Mr. Garrison's proposed amendments, we will have a discussion and then continue forward.

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

Mike Kelloway Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

Madam Chair, it's good for me.

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid

Thank you, Mr. Kelloway. Go ahead with the first one.

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

Mike Kelloway Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

Okay.

The motion under “Analyst Services” reads:

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.

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid

Do I have agreement from everyone on that motion? I see unanimous agreement.

(Motion agreed to)

Continue, Mr. Kelloway.

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

Mike Kelloway Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

Under the heading “Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure”, the motion is:

That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be established and be composed of five members, namely the Chair and one member from each recognized party; and that the subcommittee work in a spirit of collaboration.

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Iqra Khalid

Do I have agreement from everybody?

(Motion agreed to)

Once we go through the routine motions, I will come back to this and we'll establish the next meeting time for the subcommittee.

Thank you for that, Mr. Kelloway.