Natural Resources Committee on Dec. 15th, 2021

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

On technical tests for witnesses, I move:

That the clerk inform each witness who is to appear before the committee that the House administration support team must conduct technical tests to check the connectivity and the equipment used to ensure the best possible sound quality; and that the Chair advise the committee, at the start of each meeting, of any witness who did not perform the required technical tests.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Now we have the next one.

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

Last but not least, regarding linguistic review, I move:

That all documents submitted for committee business that do not come from a federal department, members’ offices, or that have not been translated by the Translation Bureau be sent for prior linguistic review by the Translation Bureau before being distributed to members.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Thank you, Mr. Maloney.

Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt these motions?

Ms. Rempel Garner.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Chair, I'm not sure if now is the appropriate time, or after we move the main body, which Conservatives are in favour of, but I'd like to add one to this. I think that our whips' offices have been in communication. It's another routine motion that has been adopted in other committees before.

I'm not sure if Mr. Maloney can hear me better now. I'm trying to speak right into the microphone as best I can.

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

I can hear you clearly. Thank you.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Okay, good. I move:

That whenever a minister appears before committee, every effort be made to ensure that the meeting is televised.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Is everybody in favour of that additional motion?

From the Liberals on screen there are thumbs up.

We will go to Ms. Lapointe—you have your hand up—and then Mr. Maloney.

Ms. Lapointe, did you have a question?

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

I do not have a question on the motion, no.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Okay, thank you.

Mr. Maloney.

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

All I was going to say is I don't disagree with this. My only concern is that sometimes, because of technical support, you can't always have a room available that can provide those services. I'd hate to see us lose meetings because of that.

Subject to that caveat, I don't oppose this.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Okay.

Ms. Dabrusin.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

It was a ditto to what Mr. Maloney just said. I apologize. I wasn't sure that you had registered that I was good with it when you looked at the people online.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Ms. Rempel Garner, can you give us the wording on your motion once more, and we'll put all of them to the committee.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Yes. It is:

That whenever a minister appears before committee, every effort be made to ensure that the meeting is televised.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

With that, I'll put it to the committee members.

Are we in agreement to adopt all motions, including the additional one that has been put forward?

(Motions agreed to)

It looks like we have full agreement. Thank you, everybody. We now have our routine motions in place for our committee.

I did want to make a couple of comments before we get started.

First of all, Mr. Maloney, thank you for the work that you've done chairing this committee, I believe, in the last two Parliaments. By way of introduction, I had been on the environment and sustainable development committee in the 42nd Parliament when I was here and chaired it for the final year. I have had two years away from the House, so I beg the indulgence of the committee as I get back up to speed.

What I'd like to suggest is that we'll go through a speaking order.

Did you have your hand up as well, Mr. Angus?

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Yes, I did.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Okay. I have Mr. Chahal, Ms. Lapointe, Mr. Maloney, Ms. Dabrusin, Mr. Angus, and I don't know if anybody else has their name there, so we'll simply go into—

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I'm sorry. I don't want to challenge the chair, but I've had my hand up from the get-go and the clerk wasn't watching. We are being disadvantaged here because people can put their hand up on the screen. I had my hand up and kept it up, but nobody even looked in the room. I want to challenge that.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Okay, I'm happy to start with Mr. Angus, and then we'll go to the—

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Chair, I had my hand up as well. I can't tell from where I'm sitting, but my hand was up, and if you look in the order online, I would have been first up.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

I had given the list. I heard a challenge to the chair. In the case of a challenge to the chair, is it a vote?

I had just gone with the list I had. It was Mr. Chahal, Ms. Lapointe, Mr. Maloney, Ms. Dabrusin and Mr. Angus. Ms. Rempel Garner, I wasn't sure if you had—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

As a point of order, who are you ruling was first in the speaking order?

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Mr. Chahal.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

All right.

I guess you're in order, then.