I call the meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 100 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages.
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(4), the committee is undertaking a review of a request to address the remarks made by a member of the committee.
I emphasize the fact that this is the 100th meeting. The last sitting was in fact adjourned. We are therefore starting a new sitting, because it’s easier on a procedural level.
I’d like to come back to ways of avoiding acoustic incidents.
Before we begin, I ask all members and other people participating in the meeting in the room to review the card on the table. I won’t repeat everything I said during the last three meetings, but it is important to consult that card, because it shows us how to avoid acoustic incidents.
Keep in mind that preventative measures were implemented to protect the health and safety of all participants, including interpreters. Use only the approved black earpiece. The old earpieces, which are grey, must not be used anymore. Always keep your earpiece away from the microphones. When you are not using it, I ask you to place it face down in the middle of the round sticker, which can usually be found to the right of your microphone.
Before going any further and officially undertaking the discussion, I want to repeat, for a fourth or fifth time, that audio injuries are not caused by the Zoom platform, as many of us believed, but by the fact that many people talk at the same time during the meeting.
I have said it often and I don’t want to come back to this today, but I would like to read this excerpt from page 1058 of the House of Commons Procedure and Practice on the matter of disorder and misconduct:
In the event of disorder, the Chair may suspend the meeting until order can be restored or, if the situation is considered to be so serious as to prevent the committee from continuing with its work, the meeting may be adjourned.
I consider many people talking at the same time and interrupting each other to be a serious incident, because that’s what causes injuries among the interpreters. And if we have no interpreters at Parliament, its proceedings will be paralyzed.
I don’t want to go over this again.
Mr. Dalton and Mr. Beaulieu, I did indeed see that you raised your hands to speak. Wait until I officially open the debate.
As I was saying, I consider this to be serious. To avoid any incidents, I’m going to tell you how we will proceed.
The clerk and I see hands raised in the room and onscreen. For the moment, I don’t see Ms. Ashton onscreen, but I know she did a sound check.
If you want to raise a point of order, all you have to say is “point of order” and then be silent until I give you the floor. Usually, when we raise a point of order, someone is already speaking. I will let them finish their sentence and then give you the floor. As long as I have not given you the floor, you may not turn on your microphone. I will ask the technicians to remain alert and uphold this order, because it is the only way to minimize audio injuries inflicted on interpreters.
I am now ready to hear members of the committee regarding the use of Standing Order 106(4).
Mr. Beaulieu, you were the first to request the floor. Afterwards, it will be Mr. Dalton.
Mr. Beaulieu—