Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure Committee on April 14th, 2016

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Ms. Ludwig.

[Karen Ludwig, Liberal, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Thank you.

I just want to get this out there. If you'd like to replace me on the subcommittee—just let me finish this off—I'm actually travelling with my other committee and I do not want to do a disservice to this committee. I'm gone the week of May 9 and I'm gone next week as well.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

I have nobody here to replace you. I think you're fabulous.

[Karen Ludwig, Liberal, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

And a week in June.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Somebody can substitute in for you. Ms. Sahota or someone could come if we have a meeting and just—

[Karen Ludwig, Liberal, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

But I think we need to have consistency in terms of having a person who's doing new stuff out there.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

We're here for four years. You're only gone a couple of weeks.

[Karen Ludwig, Liberal, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

We like you.

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

On this or on the whole committee...?

[Karen Ludwig, Liberal, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

On the subcommittee, just the working part.

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

I think that's up to your caucus to decide, really.

[The Clerk]

If you just continue to have the whip's office sub you in, that's fine.

[Karen Ludwig, Liberal, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

On the steering committee, do we want someone who's subbed in or someone else who's from our committee?

[The Clerk]

The whip's office will decide on the subcommittee membership, so that's a conversation for them.

[Laura Munn-Rivard]

Could I just ask for clarification on the work plan? I have an idea of how it's all organized. I was just wondering, for the meeting of academics and experts, you had asked me to look into the Centre for Women in Politics at Carleton, and if they have some expertise, to add them. Would you like me to see if I can find one more academic or expert? Typically there are four witnesses per meeting. This is two-hour block. If I find another expert, would you like me to add them to this meeting? It's in your hands.

[Karen Ludwig, Liberal, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

I think we should have the extra person, even if as we go along we think, we don't need that person. Again, we should have contingency just in case people say that they're not available.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

If the analyst can find someone who has GBA expertise, then we can add them to that foursome.

[Laura Munn-Rivard]

My second question is for the last meeting on examples from other jurisdictions. We have the Province of Quebec, and then you had asked me to look into New Zealand. Do I have the permission of the subcommittee to also add another province or another country to make it a panel of four people again?

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Yes.

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Can I add a caveat to that? I'm interested in these if they are success stories. Instead of just examples from other jurisdictions, could we call them GBA success stories? Unless they're actually doing it well, I'm not really interested in taking the time. Someone who has best practices that we could learn from. The same thing goes for the Quebec proposals, we'd want to know that it's implementation that has been commended.

[Laura Munn-Rivard]

Yes. I can share that they're doing an excellent job.

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Good. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Excellent. This steering committee has done an excellent job of coming up with a work plan.

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

My comment was about when we meet again. My preference would be to do it after, if we can, just because we're already here.