Public Safety Committee on Oct. 8th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I think there's a “mute somebody or other” out there that's frustrating me.

Glen, I jumped in a little quickly on you. There is discretion for the chair to reduce time for questioning. It says “at the discretion of the chair” twice: first with respect to the witnesses, and second with respect to the members. That has been routine. You just have to have it because you can't control time in this business.

Does everybody have an understanding of this motion? Are we good on it? Does anybody need it read back by the clerk? Do we understand what we're voting on?

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you very much.

The next motion concerns working meals.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

No, it's document distribution.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Did I miss something?

Oh yes, I did; it's document distribution.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

I have a point of order, with an information question.

Is this being broadcast?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Yes, we are in public.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Then let me ask through you, Mr. Chair, to the clerk, is it just online that it's being broadcast? How would my staff be able to access it?

[The Clerk]

Mr. Chair, there are two ways. It's broadcast on ParlVu, but there's also a phone number they can call to access the live feed.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Are we good with that?

Okay.

I'm sorry, I skipped document distribution. The motion for it is:

That only the clerk of the committee be authorized to distribute documents to members of the committee and only when such documents exist in both official languages, and that the witnesses be advised accordingly.

There's the motion on the floor. Is there any discussion?

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

I'll move it, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Is there any discussion?

(Motion agreed to)

I'll keep on working here, but I wonder, out of curiosity, whether there are any further changes to the routine motions that we had before.

On working meals, the motion is:

That the clerk of the committee be authorized to make the necessary arrangements to provide working meals for the committee and its subcommittees.

Can someone move that?

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

I'd be happy to move it, Mr. Chair, and then I would make an amendment to the motion as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Okay, the motion is on the floor, and you want to make an amendment. Go for it.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

In acknowledgement of the different times we're in, I move that “provided that members have confirmed their physical presence for the meeting” be added to the end of the working meals routine motion.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I don't quite understand. Could you give me some explanation of what that means?

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Sure. Because we will have hybrid meetings, members should confirm physical attendance at the meeting, out of respect for those who are preparing the bagged lunches and whatnot for our meetings. For staff to prepare 12 meals when only four members will be present.... It's a very different set of circumstances to prepare for 12 than to prepare for four.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Does that mean, Chair, that if you're sitting in your office on Parliament Hill someone will bring you a bagged lunch, but no one will bring me one here in St. John's?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

We'll fly one out for you directly, Jack.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Purolator's still working.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

I have a question. While we're in virtual Parliament, is the House even providing meals if people are physically in Ottawa?

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Chair, I can speak for that, having been on the ethics committee this summer.

They do provide bagged lunches. The staff at the House of Commons have done a great job, but this would give them an idea so that they know how much to prepare, especially in the hybrid setting in which you could have three members or you could have eight or 12 members.

It just ensures that we're respecting those who are doing the background work so that we can do our work.

To address Mr. Harris's point, those in their offices wouldn't get the lunches but will enjoy them in the committee room.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

The way it would read, then, is “committee meals for the committee members present”. Is that right?

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

I can read it again. The motion as written is this:

That the clerk of the committee be authorized to make the necessary arrangements to provide working meals for the committee and its subcommittees.

I suggest replacing the period with a comma and adding “provided that members have confirmed their physical presence for the meeting”. That is the addition.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

It seems awfully awkward. Why not simply say, “for committee members present”?

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

It's in order to give time for the staff to prepare accordingly, if it's a meeting that will be taking place over lunch.