Evidence of meeting #1 for Public Accounts in the 43rd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was clerk.
A recording is available from Parliament.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Michel Marcotte
Honourable committee members, I can see a quorum.
I must inform the members that the clerk of the committee can receive motions only for the election of the chair. The clerk can't receive any other motions, hear points of order or participate in the debates.
We can proceed to the election of the chair.
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the official opposition.
I'm ready to receive motions for the chair.
Mr. Steinley, you have the floor.
The Clerk
Mr. Steinley moves that Dean Allison be elected chair of the committee.
Are there any other motions?
Hearing none, is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
I declare the motion carried and Mr. Dean Allison duly elected chair of the committee.
(Motion agreed to)
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
If the committee is in agreement, we're going to proceed with the election of the vice-chairs.
Mr. Green.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
As we all know, there's still a process happening with PROC. We know that the China-Canada committee took it upon themselves as a committee to add a third vice-chair. I would like to test the will of this committee at this point in time to see if there would be a willingness to entertain that motion here, to add a third vice-chair for the welfare of this committee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
The challenge I have right now is that because it hasn't been approved by PROC, it's still not in process.
I could put this to the will of the committee.
Wait until PROC? Is that the consensus we have?
Mr. Fergus.
Liberal
Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Mr. Chair, yes, I'd love to do that; and secondly, we discussed this issue over at ethics yesterday.
I would appreciate that the first order of business at the next meeting would be to deal with that issue.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Just so we are clear, through you, Mr. Chair, there's nothing preventing us from doing it now. China-Canada has already done it.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
My understanding is that it would actually be going against the Standing Orders as they are now.
NDP
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Why don't we just wait until we see? PROC has to move that, and then we can certainly entertain that again.
Conservative
Liberal
Kody Blois Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Chair, I'd like to nominate Mr. Lloyd Longfield as a vice-chair.
February 25th, 2020 / 11:10 a.m.
Liberal
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Correct. We're just going to do one at a time.
This is the first one, which should be the government.
(Motion agreed to)
We need a second vice-chair as well.
Mr. Sorbara.
Liberal
Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I look forward to working with this committee and with you as chair over the next coming weeks and months.
I would like to nominate Maxime Blanchette-Joncas as vice-chair, please.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Mr. Allison, you're going to get to know me really well.
I'm also going to go ahead and put my own name forward for the nomination and call the vote, and allow that to happen in anticipation of PROC.
I can nominate myself. It's in order.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
All right. There will be a ballot, then, so just give us a second to organize that.
The Clerk
Since more than one candidate has been nominated, pursuant to Standing Order 106(3), I'm required to preside over the election of the second vice-chair by secret ballot.
Mr. Sorbara moves that Maxime Blanchette-Joncas be elected second vice-chair of the committee.
Matthew Green moves that Matthew Green be elected second vice-chair of the committee.
Are there any other motions?
There aren't any other motions.
I'll briefly explain the process.
I'll distribute a ballot to each committee member. You must clearly mark your choice on the ballot by printing the candidate's first and last name, and place the ballot in the ballot box when it comes to you. We'll then count the ballots. I'll announce the elected candidate. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, another round of voting will take place in the same way.
