Medical Assistance in Dying Committee on Oct. 31st, 2023

[The Joint Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Angus Wilson]

Honourable senators and members of Parliament, there is a quorum.

As the Senate joint clerk of your committee, it is my duty to preside over the election of the Senate joint chair. I am ready to receive a motion to that effect.

Senator Wallin.

[Pamela Wallin, Senator, Saskatchewan, CSG]

I would like to move that Senator Yonah Martin be the joint chair representing the Senate.

[The Joint Clerk, Mr. Angus Wilson]

Thank you.

Are there any other nominations?

Seeing none, it is moved by the honourable Senator Wallin that the honourable Senator Martin do take the chair of this joint committee.

Is it your pleasure, honourable senators and members of Parliament, to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I invite the honourable Senator Martin to take the chair.

[The Joint Chair, Hon. Yonah Martin (Senator, British Columbia, C)]

Thank you, colleagues.

We'll continue with the election of a Senate deputy chair. I am ready to receive a motion to that effect.

Are there any nominations?

Senator Wallin.

[Pamela Wallin]

I would like to nominate Senator Stan Kutcher for that position.

[A voice]

On division.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Pamela Wallin]

That's how we feel as well.

[The Joint Chair, Hon. Yonah Martin]

The honourable Senator Pamela Wallin moved that the honourable Senator Stan Kutcher be the Senate deputy chair of this committee.

(Motion agreed to)

Next I will turn it over to the House clerk for the election of the House joint chair.

[The Joint Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Jean-François Lafleur]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I simply have to tell the committee members that I cannot receive motions to elect a chair. I cannot receive other kinds of motions or points of order, nor can I participate in the discussion.

Let us now proceed to the election of the chair.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2) and the House order of October 18, 2023, the chair must be a member of the governing party.

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

Mr. Fisher.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

I would be pleased to nominate René Arseneault.

[The Joint Clerk, Mr. Jean-François Lafleur]

Thank you.

Are there any other motions?

Seeing none, is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

Mr. René Arseneault is duly elected as the joint chair on the House side.

Congratulations, Mr. Arseneault.

Now let's move to the election of the first vice-chair.

Again, pursuant to Standing Order 106(2) and the House order of October 18, 2023, the first vice-chair must be a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.

I am now prepared to receive motions for the first vice-chair on the House side.

Mr. Cooper.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Thank you very much.

I'd like to nominate Shelby Kramp-Neuman.

[The Joint Clerk, Mr. Jean-François Lafleur]

Thank you very much.

Are there any other motions?

Seeing none, is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare Madam Kramp-Neuman the first vice-chair of the committee.

Let's now move to the election of the second vice-chair.

I will spare you the short speech on the Standing Orders.

I am now ready to receive motions for the position of second vice-chair.

Mr. Scarpaleggia, you have the floor.

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

I nominate Luc Thériault.

[The Joint Clerk, Mr. Jean-François Lafleur]

Very well.

Are there any other motions?

Seeing none, is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare Mr. Thériault of the Bloc Québécois duly elected as the second vice-chair.

Let us now elect the third vice-chair.

May I remind you that the third vice-chair must be a member of the New Democratic Party.

I am now ready to receive motions for the position of third vice-chair.

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

I would like to nominate Mr. Alistair MacGregor.

[The Joint Clerk, Mr. Jean-François Lafleur]

Thank you very much.

Are there any other motions?

Seeing none, is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mr. MacGregor elected as third vice-chair of the committee.

Thank you very much.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

I think there's only one member who's not a vice-chair or a chair. That would be me.

[The Joint Chair, Hon. Yonah Martin]

I see a hand raised on the screen.

Senator Mégie, do you have a question?

[Marie-Françoise Mégie, Quebec, (Rougemont), GSI]

I have had my hand up for some time.

Senator Wallin nominated Senator Kutcher. According to the motion voted upon in the Senate, however, the same people remain in their positions.

So I would like more information about this. I was not informed of the change.

[The Joint Chair, Hon. Yonah Martin]

No, I think, being in the room, we ended up nominating someone who was here, but of course you were the vice-chair.

Senator Kutcher is fine to revisit it. He is graciously stepping aside.

Colleagues, with your agreement, we will redo the nomination.

(Motion agreed to)

Senator Wallin, would you like to nominate the vice-chair?

[Pamela Wallin]

I would like to nominate Senator Mégie for the position of vice-chair on the Senate side.

[The Joint Chair, Hon. Yonah Martin]

Are there any other nominations?

The honourable Senator Wallin has moved that the honourable Senator Mégie be the Senate deputy chair of this committee.

Is it agreed that we adopt this motion?

(Motion agreed to)

Thank you, Senator Mégie, and I apologize for that error.

[Marie-Françoise Mégie]

Thank you.

I want to say that I am not attending this meeting virtually on a whim. I tested positive for COVID‑19, so I did not want to infect you.