Evidence of meeting #69 for Public Accounts in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was meeting.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
I'm getting a lot of conflicting opinions on this. My interpretation is that the chair has 48 hours after the decision to hold the meeting to decide when we will get into the substance of this, which would be Wednesday.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Mr. Chairman, let's read Standing Order 106(4) again.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
Let's have order here, and we'll just try to work our way through it.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Let's go through this quite simply.
Within five days of the receipt, by the clerk of a standing committee, of a request signed by any four members of the said committee, the Chair of the said committee shall convene such a meeting provided that forty-eight hours’ notice is given of the meeting.
When did I get notice of this, Mr. Chairman?
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
June 18th, 2007 / 3:55 p.m.
The Clerk
The 48 hours does not apply to that. It's a request. It does not.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB
A point of order.
The notice says clearly, “Forty-eight hours' notice of such a meeting must be given to the members.” Now, we got notice this afternoon.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Chairman, I have a point of order. I would like to be heard.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
Get to your point of order.
Mark down his point of order, because we're on a point of order already.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It seems very clear that the standing orders, if you turn to chapter 20 of Marleau-Montpetit, which deals with committees—
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
Order. Order here.
Marleau and Montpetit.... Just let me read the ruling on this section. It reads:
The Chair may agree to consider the matter at a meeting that has already been scheduled, rather than calling a meeting for that purpose alone.
As far as I've seen, we have a meeting scheduled on Wednesday. We can deal with it on Wednesday. That's the ruling I'm going to make.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
No, we don't need a motion. This committee has already agreed that we're going to have a meeting.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
Under the ruling there, I have the discretion to set this for another meeting. I've decided to have it on Wednesday.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
I would ask you this respectfully. What will you do if we just put a motion forward that says we're going to do this this Thursday?
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Borys Wrzesnewskyj Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
Chair, for clarification, during our emergency meeting on Thursday I tabled a motion that did not receive unanimous consent, but would have provided the adequate 48 hours' notice. The motion read—
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
I thought at the very onset of the meeting I raised that with you and you withdrew it. That motion is off the agenda.
3:55 p.m.
An hon. member
But he didn't withdraw it.
