Mr. Spengemann.
Evidence of meeting #1 for National Defence in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was minutes.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #1 for National Defence in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was minutes.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Sven Spengemann Liberal Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON
I agree with my colleague. It's partly that, especially the second official opposition and third party. If capacity prevents you from attending, would you still want the process to go ahead, as Mr. Bagnell said, to have these witnesses heard, or would you prefer that not be the case?
3:45 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
What the two us are suggesting is that at least one of us, one of the two. I'm not suggesting if there's one person who actually can't be there...The wording I had proposed was that two members of opposition parties, but it did not specify the official opposition.
With respect, we're going to get confused, because we only have one amendment on the floor right now, and we need to dispose of it.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon
That's true, but at least there's been a discussion. There is some overlap here. I agree, we will have to deal with the first amendment that was moved, but I wanted to make sure we were fully informed before I call for the vote.
Mrs. Gallant.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon
We are inserting the word “official”, so that it would read “...including one member of the official opposition and one member of the government”.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
The two amendments being proposed could work together, but they're a little bit mutually exclusive, if we defeat one and then go to the other. There seems to be a willingness in the committee to have the motion withdrawn, and then have another motion in order to have one we all agree with.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon
All in favour of this amendment?
(Amendment agreed to)
Is there a second amendment?
Mr. Garrison.
3:45 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
Where it says “including one member of the official opposition”, insert the words “and one other opposition party”.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
3:45 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
It's been debated, and it's still under debate in other committees.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
Okay. I ask because I know that you in the NDP, and the Bloc too, are sometimes so overstretched between committees that you can't make it. We just wouldn't want a witness to....
3:45 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
With regard to this amendment, I'm wondering if the mover means to say and one “member” of another party as opposed to one other “party”.
3:45 p.m.
NDP
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Let me just say that in my 15-plus years here, we've never, ever had it occur that we've had to use this routine motion.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon
All right. Let's have a look at this. This particular proposal would end up reading, “including one member of the official opposition and one member of another opposition party”.
This is the second amendment.
(Amendment agreed to)
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Madam Chair, what happens when a meeting gets started and then for whatever reason some members have to leave? Is the meeting allowed to continue?
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon
I have conferred with my clerk. He says, yes, the meeting would be allowed to continue.
All in favour of the routine motion on reduced quorum with its two amendments?
(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Mr. Spengemann.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Sven Spengemann Liberal Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON
Madam Chair, the next motion is on the questioning of witnesses. I move:
That witnesses be given ten (10) minutes for their opening statement; that, at the discretion of the Chair, during the questioning of witnesses, there be allocated six (6) minutes for the first questioner of each party as follows: Round l:
Conservative Party
Liberal Party
Bloc Québécois
New Democratic Party
For the second and subsequent rounds, the order and time for questioning be as follows:
Conservative Party, five (5) minutes,
Liberal Party, five (5) minutes,
Conservative Party, five (5) minutes,
Liberal Party, five (5) minutes,
Bloc Québécois, two and a half (2.5) minutes,
New Democratic Party, two and a half (2.5) minutes.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Madam Chair, it has been a long-standing practice of this committee that every member gets one chance to ask a question before there's any duplication. I know that this was negotiated between parties, but I think we should respect this practice.
Each and every one of us is a member of this committee and should have a chance to ask questions to witnesses. I know that in the timing laid out here, if you only have one witness and you go through these rounds, you're only at one hour, so there would be subsequent rounds. However, when the whole end is full with...usually, four witnesses, that takes us outside of an ability to get to that subsequent round.
I would propose that before we get to the Bloc and NDP having their last minutes—again, knowing that they've already asked one round of questions at six minutes—we would enable the remaining Liberal member and remaining Conservative member to have their questions. Then, to balance that, we would increase the time from two and a half minutes to three minutes for the Bloc and the NDP. So in subsequent rounds, you go Conservative Party; Liberal Party; Conservative Party; Liberal Party; Conservative Party; Liberal Party; Bloc Québécois, three minutes; New Democrats, three minutes.
I'm moving that amendment.