Evidence of meeting #48 for National Defence in the 41st Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was agreed.
A recording is available from Parliament.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Leif-Erik Aune
Honourable members, I see a quorum.
The meeting is convened pursuant to Standing Order 106(1). Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the government party. I'm now prepared to receive motions for the position of chair.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
I move that James Bezan stand for chair. He lost the arm-wrestling match.
The Clerk
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
(Motion agreed to)
Before inviting Mr. Bezan to take the chair, are there any motions, by unanimous consent, to handle anything else?
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
I move that through unanimous consent we go to the election of the vice-chairs.
The Clerk
It is agreed by unanimous consent that we proceed to the election of the vice-chairs.
NDP
Conservative
The Clerk
Do you mean for second vice-chair?
On Mr. Harris as first vice-chair, is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
(Motion agreed to)
On Mr. Bezan's motion that Mr. McKay be second vice-chair?
(Motion agreed to)
Mr. Bezan.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Thank you, Mr. Aune, for carrying out the elections, and thanks again for the confidence the committee has shown in me continuing on as your chair.
Even though we have nothing else on the agenda, I'd like to ask for unanimous consent that we go in camera to deal with some committee business. Do we have unanimous consent to go in camera?
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
I see a list of attached stuff here. We didn't really come here prepared to deal with it.
Conservative
NDP
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Chair, before your motion to adjourn and the dispersal of the committee, I just want to offer up these books to committee members: FOB Doc: A Doctor on the Front Lines of Afghanistan, and A Line in the Sand: Canadians at War in Kandahar, by Dr. Wiss.
As you know, Minister MacKay, Jack, and I sponsored an event on the Hill with the film If I Should Fall. Dr. Wiss was very helpful to us. He's made these books available for those who are interested in things military. I think they would be of interest to anybody on the committee. If, in fact, a donation came the way of the Military Families Fund, that would be of no harm. Otherwise, the books are entirely free, and they're here to be picked up. My staff will give them to anybody who is interested. They're wonderful.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
I've read both books and they're fantastic accounts. They are diaries of a Canadian doctor who went back into the military and went for three tours through Afghanistan as a forward operating base doctor. It's an incredible story from his perspective.
Madame Moore.
NDP
Christine Moore NDP Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Are they available only in English, or do you have some French versions?
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
They are just in anglais, as far as I know. I don't think they are en français.
Conservative
Liberal
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
He's an Ontario francophone from Sudbury.
Seeing nothing else, the meeting is adjourned.