Pay Equity Committee on March 7th, 2016

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Julie Lalande Prud'homme]

Members of the committee, I see a quorum.

I must inform members that the clerk of the committee can only receive motions for the election of the chair. The clerk cannot receive other types of motions, cannot entertain points of order, nor participate in the debate.

We can now proceed to the election of the chair.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the government party.

I am ready to receive motions for the chair.

Ms. Gladu.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

I'd like to nominate Anita Vandenbeld for the position of chair.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Ms. Gladu that Ms. Vandenbeld be elected as chair of the committee.

Are there further motions?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Ms. Vandenbeld duly elected chair of the committee.

I invite Ms. Vandenbeld to take the chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

Thank you very much, everybody. I'm very happy to be chair of this very important special committee.

Is there consent for us to proceed with the election of the two vice-chairs? I see consent.

[The Clerk]

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the first vice-chair must be a member of the official opposition.

I am now prepared to receive motions for the first vice-chair.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Madam Chair, I would like, in the same spirit of collegiality, to nominate Shannon Stubbs to be vice-chair.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Ms. Dzerowicz that Ms. Stubbs be elected as first vice-chair of the committee.

Are there any further motions?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried, and Ms. Stubbs duly elected first vice-chair of the committee.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the second vice-chair must be a member of an opposition party other than the official opposition.

I am now prepared to receive motions for the second vice-chair.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Madam Chair, I would like to nominate Sheri Benson as the second vice-chair.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Ms. Dzerowicz that Ms. Benson be elected as second vice-chair of the committee.

Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried, and Ms. Benson duly elected second vice-chair of the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

Congratulations.

If the committee consents, given that we have some time, I'd like to move on to routine motions.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Madam Chair, I'm starting to speak too much, but I would like to make a motion with respect to the services of analysts from the Library of Parliament.

I move:

That the Committee retain, as needed and at the discretion of the Chair, the services of one or more analysts from the Library of Parliament to assist it in its work.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

Is there consensus? No.

Mr. Albas.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

On the surface I do, but I was just going to raise a point about some of the routine motions and get some clarification from the other side. Maybe we could get some agreement to do an omnibus to cover most of the plates here. I think what we have here is pretty much boilerplate. I have just one concern.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

We were going to move each motion one by one, and we can do that fairly quickly if there's no debate.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

We can do it however you like, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

We can adopt all of the routine motions in one go, as long as there's unanimous consent.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

I just have one small change to propose. You can let me know, Madam Chair, how you'd like to conduct the business of the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

Which motion is it?

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

In regard to the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, I've been on committees where, if everyone is working and in good spirits, you don't really need to have a subcommittee. Most of the planning can be done right here with the body of the committee. We found that in the public accounts committee. That was an opposition-chaired committee and it was very effective. It all depends on what members want. Again, a subcommittee just means that people are going to make decisions, negotiate things, and then bring them back for ratification.

We have a very short timeline. I believe that we have to report in June. Given that, we may want to just say that we can plan our business as a group fairly well, lay out our work between now and June, and do away with the whole concept of a subcommittee altogether.

Again, that's just food for thought. I'm happy to go with the majority will here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

Might I propose, then, that we move all of the other routine motions, other than the one on the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure? We can dispense with them quickly, and then we can go to that motion as a separate motion.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

I agree that it's a good way to conduct it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

Do we have unanimous consent for all of the motions—other than the one on the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure—that have been handed out to all members of the committee?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

Seeing no objection, I declare all of those motions passed.

(Motions agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

If anybody wants to put a motion regarding the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, I would welcome that. Or is there debate or discussion?

Does anyone wish to put the motion?

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

I'm sorry, but what motion?