Evidence of meeting #2 for Status of Women in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was move.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
I call to order meeting number two of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. Thank you all very much for coming out this morning.
I'd like to move forward on the standard routine motions. Perhaps we could start by dealing with items one through four.
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
Madam Chair, I would like to make some comments on this.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Can you hold on one second, please? Ms. Smith, can you just hold up? We need to have a vote on each one as we're approving it, so we can start with number one.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
Okay, item number two, in camera meetings. It's being moved by Ms. Neville.
(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
On item number one, are you okay now, Maria? Okay, hold on.
On each one of these there are two versions. We need to know which one is being moved. On the analyst?
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Can I ask a question? I think it was indicated, when this was handed out to us, that one was the standard motion that goes to all the committees and the other one was the way it was amended by this committee last time. Is that correct? Which is which?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
The first is the standard and the one in bold is the one that the committee may have made changes to.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
The bold one. Is that enough of an indication to say the bold one, or the one in bold letters?
Ms. Mourani, is your translation working okay now?
Okay, number two, in camera meetings. Moved by Ms. Davidson, the bold print. Item number three, staff at in camera meetings, moved by Ms. Neville, bold.
Item number four, subcommittee on agenda and procedure, moved.... Did you want to hold that?
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
I wanted to speak to number four. Thank you.
I have a couple of questions. I wanted to ask a question before this started. I know this was handed out. None of the submissions that came from my office are on this. I wondered where they were. We submitted them yesterday and there's nothing on here.
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
They weren't on the document when I saw it yesterday. When I met with the clerk yesterday, I specifically asked and they had not received anything from Mr. Cotler's office or anything from your office either.
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
No, we submitted three submissions before noon and we do have them on e-mail for you.
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
Going back to this, I would like to speak to number four. I'm hoping motion four can be amended. We talked about a subcommittee on agenda and procedure here. Yesterday, around the table, everyone was saying that it would be nice to talk about our agenda right here at committee, rather than having a subcommittee.
I think there are two things we could do. We could either agree not to have a subcommittee, because there is no precedent for this committee to have a subcommittee and there are many committees that are larger than ours that have never had a subcommittee for drawing up the agenda. As I said, everyone yesterday was very adamant, at least yesterday, about the fact that everyone wanted input into the agenda. So I would suggest, first of all, that we don't need a subcommittee. If there has to be a subcommittee, then I would make an amendment on it. But I personally don't see any need for a subcommittee. I think we can decide on our agenda here and I think that would be more effective.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
I think we could do some of the initial discussion of the overall agenda this morning, as we have all submitted things.
On an ongoing basis it might be helpful to have it there, and the chair can use it or not, depending. But make it an option if there are any items that ever come up in the future. I don't know that you need to get rid of it necessarily.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
My understanding from the clerk was that it was there but it wasn't utilized, either. So it's there if, for whatever reason, the committee decides it might be something they want to use or not. Leaving it in leaves the option there, but it doesn't require us to have a subcommittee on it.
Are you comfortable with that, Ms. Smith?
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
No.
I think in this committee it would be good to tighten it up and decide what we want to do. The issue is whether we need a subcommittee to talk about the agenda. Yesterday, in the conversation around this table everyone was saying we all want to be part of putting our issues on the agenda. I would move to not have the subcommittee on agenda and procedure and to do everything within our committee.
Liberal
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Madam Chair, I would agree that we would do the initial agenda here in the committee, but my experience in the past on this committee has been that occasionally items come up on committees. I can't remember what the issues were, but the subcommittee did meet two or three times to finesse and bring back recommendations when the committee got stalled.
I would recommend that we keep it simply as an option should we need it; otherwise, we may have to re-strike it at a later date, which is always an option as well.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
It doesn't do any harm, but again, it's up to the desires of the committee.
We have Paule Brunelle's name in here for the Bloc, which would have to be changed to someone else if this goes forward.
So what's the consensus of the committee? Do you want to have a vote on this?