Evidence of meeting #1 for Public Safety and National Security in the 41st Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
We did have a little bit of a discussion. I think there is agreement that the subcommittee should comprise five members, which would be the chair, one member from the official opposition, the second vice-chair, the parliamentary secretary, and a member of the Conservative Party.
Do you want me to repeat that?
Conservative
Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
The subcommittee would comprise five members. It would include the chair, one member from the official opposition, the second vice-chair, the parliamentary secretary, and a member of the Conservative Party. Instead of saying the two vice-chairs, the opposition can decide if they want their critic or their vice-chair to be on that.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Okay. But you'd better be careful how you word that, because it could very easily give the official opposition two members sitting on that committee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
The idea then would be the two vice-chairs but one of them could be another member of the party.
Conservative
Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
I said the second vice-chair. Randall is the first vice-chair, and Francis is the second one. That was why I specifically said, “comprise the chair, one member from the official opposition, the second vice-chair, the parliamentary secretary, and one member from the Conservative Party”.
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
By way of explanation, in this case the critic of the official opposition is not the vice-chair. That's why it will be the official opposition critic who will sit on the steering committee. I'm wondering if it would be more proper to say, “and another member of the government”, as opposed to “the Conservative Party”.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
All right.
(Motion agreed to)
On reduced quorum: that the chair be authorized to hold meetings to receive evidence and to have that evidence printed when a quorum is not present, provided that at least three...members are present, including one member of the opposition.
Mr. Davies.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
I'm just wondering, Mr. Chair, does that mean of the opposition or of the official opposition?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
It doesn't have to be from the official opposition. It's a non-government member.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Does that mean, Mr. Chair, there does not need to be a member of the government present? That would be my reading. I'm perplexed that this would be the case.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Yes.
How does that differ from last time? I mean, we always had it....
It's not different?
Conservative
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Chairman, there's a difference between a quorum to hear evidence from witnesses, which is what this is speaking to only, and a quorum to conduct business. This is the same as it was last time, and it's in other committees as well.
I understand Mr. Rathgeber's point, and it's a valid one, but I suspect that's why there's a difference here. The reduced quorum is only for the purposes of receiving evidence. I think that's why it's a relaxed standard.
Conservative
Brent Rathgeber Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Well, my question remains: why can three opposition members receive evidence and three government members can't receive evidence?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
See, the difficulty here may be that if the chairperson is not here and a vice-chair takes the chair, then you can conduct meetings only as an opposition.
So I think that's a very good suggestion, Mr. Rathgeber.
Ms. Hoeppner.
Conservative
Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Thank you.
I would suggest that we change it so that the chair be authorized to hold meetings to receive evidence and to have that evidence printed when a quorum is not present, provided that at least fours member are present, including one member from each recognized party. It would ensure that....