Public Accounts Committee on May 4th, 2006

[The Clerk]

I am Danielle Bélisle.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Danielle is our new clerk.

[Roger Préfontaine, Procedural Clerk]

I'm just here to give Danielle a hand for the very important event of electing the chair. I'm clerk of the aboriginal affairs committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Welcome aboard.

I have just spoken with the clerk on dealing with future business. As I believe everyone is aware, the actual agenda items are decided by the steering committee.

The committee meeting dates are Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week from eleven o'clock until one o'clock. The Auditor General is doing a lock-up on Tuesday, May 16. She will be filing her reports at that time.

[John Williams, Conservative, Edmonton—St. Albert, AB]

Is that at nine o'clock?

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

We would have our meeting at eleven o'clock.

What I would recommend, and I invite comments from committee members, is that next Tuesday at eleven o'clock we have a meeting of the steering committee, then the following Thursday, May 13, have the first formal meeting of the committee. Of course, the following Tuesday we'll be into the full swing of things with the report of the Auditor General, and then the lock-up and the report of the Auditor General. Then on Thursday, May 18, we'll have the first chapter, which we're going to deal with, from the Auditor General.

Does anyone have any issues with that suggestion?

The general consensus is that it has been agreed, and we'll accept that as an agreement.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

You will send it as a notice to us.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

I'm going to ask the clerk to send out the recommendations from the Gomery report and the copies of the last two reports, just so that every committee member has that going forward.

[The Clerk]

Those would be the conclusions and recommendations and perhaps the chapter dealing with our committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

That's right.

[Brian Fitzpatrick, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

On a point of clarification, Chair--and maybe I'm kind of confused--does the committee usually meet on the day the Auditor General gives her report?

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Yes, we sit as a committee. Sometimes not as many members show up, but that's what normally happens. She gives her report. We have questioning, usually for an hour, on the actual numbers.

[Brian Fitzpatrick, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Okay. Thank you very much for bringing me up to speed on that item, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Monsieur Sauvageau, please.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Chairman, I'm a member of the legislative committee on Bill C-2. On looking at the calendar that has just been distributed to us, I note that I have a scheduling conflict. For example, next Tuesday, I could be here for the start of the meeting. However, when the legislative committee meeting convenes, could Mr. Nadeau possibly replace me on the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, or steering committee?

[The Clerk]

You will need to complete and submit a substitution form.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

To the steering committee as well?

[The Clerk]

Yes, to the subcommittee.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Understood.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Is there any other new business to be brought before the meeting? Anything else? If not, we'll adjourn the meeting.

I remind the steering committee members that we have a meeting next Tuesday at eleven o'clock, and we have a formal committee meeting next Thursday at eleven o'clock. Of course, notices will be sent out by the clerk.

Thank you very much.