Evidence of meeting #2 for Public Safety and National Security in the 39th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was clerk.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
Mr. Chairman, we don't have any serious problems. We're happy to move on with it.
Liberal
Ujjal Dosanjh Liberal Vancouver South, BC
Mr. Chair, it might be useful to have the original rules, as I call them, in our possession so that we can compare as we go along, rather than asking you questions about them.
Conservative
November 20th, 2007 / 3:40 p.m.
Liberal
Joe McGuire Liberal Egmont, PE
Can we have a copy of the original routine motions from the last session? These are minutes.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Yes, but the motions are there. They're all there.
Is there any further discussion?
Are you agreed that we will delete the last six words in the motion on reduced quorum? Do you have any problems with that?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Going on to the next one, distribution of documents, it reads:
That only the Clerk of the Committee be authorized to distribute to the members of the Committee any documents, including motions, and that all documents which are to be distributed amongst the committee members must be in both official languages. The Clerk shall advise all witnesses appearing before the committee of this requirement.
Are there any problems with that? Is there any discussion?
Monsieur Ménard, did you have a question or a comment?
Bloc
Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Last time, we did not think that it was a good idea to put “the clerk shall advise all witnesses appearing before committee of this requirement.” We always made sure that the documents were in both official languages. I am just thinking of some organizations who might have difficulty providing them in both languages, because it has happened. Can the government offer them a translation service? If so, we could add that he shall advise all witnesses appearing before the committee of the requirement.
I do not know. Although it happens more often in English than in French, it can happen in French as well. People want to submit a brief in French and...
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Can I just interrupt you, Monsieur Ménard?
If a document is submitted in only one language, we do the distribution. Before it is given to the members of the committee, the translation is done.
Bloc
Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Agreed. But if the clerk advises people that the document must be in both languages, they are going to think that it is up to them to have it translated.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Well, they can do so if they wish. That's my understanding. But it also makes it clear to them that they must submit them in time for the translation to be done.
If they come to the committee thinking they will be able to distribute in only one language, they won't be able to do that. That's one of the reasons they have to be informed that they have to allow a week or whatever, several days at least, for these to be translated. If we did not inform them of that, they would think everything would be distributed right away. I think that's why this is put in.
Bloc
Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
That is a very good idea. I agree completely. If we are ready to do the translation, let's say for organizations without the means to do it themselves, we should tell them. Then they should submit their documents a few days in advance so that we can have them translated.
Conservative
Conservative
NDP
Penny Priddy NDP Surrey North, BC
I just have a question.
So if we come upon an article that we think is of interest to everybody because it's about something we're talking about, and we have it in both languages, we should then not circulate it to the committee but give it to the clerk to circulate. I've been on committees where people find a document that's of interest to the subject matter and just want to share it. Do we give it to the clerk to make sure it goes around?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Members of the committee, I believe, can circulate whatever they wish to the rest of the committee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
I think that's always been an understanding. It doesn't have to be done in the committee room.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Next is staff at in camera meetings. It reads:
Each Committee member in attendance shall be permitted to have one staff member attend at any in camera meetings. In addition, each party shall be permitted to have one staff member from the Whip's office.
I believe we added that the last time. Is that all still fine? Okay.
Now we're at in camera meetings transcripts.
Sorry, Monsieur Ménard, you had a question?
Bloc
Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
As I look at the text in both languages, I see something in the French text that I think should be added to the English. It says “De plus, chaque parti est en droit d'être accompagné d'un membre du personnel du bureau du whip de sa formation politique.” We need it to be:
“one staff member from the Whip's office of that party”.