Official Languages Committee on Sept. 22nd, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Okay. Monsieur Galipeau will be the fifth member on that subcommittee

Thank you for volunteering and filling that gap.

That was the first thing we needed to do before we adjourn. The second thing is that next week, on Tuesday, we need to meet to plan our future business. It was suggested that we meet as a subcommittee rather than a full committee.

What is the wish of the committee? Is it to meet and plan as a subcommittee, which is made up of me, the two vice-chairs, and the two government members? Or do you wish to meet as a full committee to discuss it? Normally, the planning meetings take place in camera, so I'll do it as such unless you want it in public. What would you like to do? Do you want to meet as a subcommittee or as a full committee?

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Who composes the subcommittee?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

The subcommittee? I'll read the routine motion:

That the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of five (5) members including the chair, the two vice-chairs, the parliamentary secretary for official languages and a member of the government party.

That's Mr. Galipeau.

There are five members, including me as chair.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Who are the two vice-chairs? I know that I am one.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

The other one is Mr. Bélanger.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I just wanted to check, because I have already seen a case where the second vice-chair was a member of the government party. I just want to make sure that the Liberals will be represented.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

They haven't changed those regulations yet.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Just wait until Thursday, Mauril. I am glad we did that last month. If we had done it this week, you would have lost your place.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

That's coming.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

What would you like to do? Would you like to meet as a subcommittee? I need some direction here.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I think that we should start with the subcommittee. Frankly, I am not happy with my morning. With a smaller committee, I think we could try to come up with an agenda. Then we could see if we could get consensus on it. That is why we have a subcommittee. So I propose that we start with the subcommittee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

You have the floor, Mr. Gourde.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

I agree with Mr. Godin. Let the subcommittee meet and then all of us will agree on the agenda that we have come up with.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Absolutely.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Okay. So I'll call a meeting of the subcommittee for next week, on Tuesday, and the five of us will meet. Hopefully we can quickly come to a consensus about what we're going to—

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

For nine o'clock, as opposed to a quarter to nine?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Yes, I can do that, but I can't book the meeting past a quarter to eleven because this room will be used by another meeting. If you want to meet, we'll meet at nine o'clock. Okay? I'll book it for an hour and three-quarters. Hopefully we can come to an agreement before that time.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Since there are only five of us, does it have to be here?

[An hon. member]

We need translation services—

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Oui.

[An hon. member]

—or we're going to get into another witch hunt.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Let's just—

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

We are all bilingual.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Let's just meet here.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

What was he asking?