Status of Women Committee on Nov. 19th, 2007

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

There's enough for quorum, isn't there? I counted seven, but there's an eighth one there.

I would like to make a suggestion to the committee. We have the routine motions as presented by the clerk, and then there were proposals that we all took away and had an opportunity to read and digest. We can just go through it quickly, because we have a lot of other business to attend to. I'm going to seek yes or no, agreed or disagreed. And I think we have already said we do not need the subcommittee on agenda and Procedure, so we can remove that.

We're going now to the proposal by Madam Boucher.

I'm sure there is not anyone who does not understood what the intent is, so could we move forward and have a suggestion to proceed one by one?

Ms. Minna.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

I'm sorry....

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ms. Minna, what we are doing is taking the proposal that was presented by Madam Boucher. We've all had a chance to review it, understand it, and now we're going to vote on all of them one at a time.

On reduced quorum, all in favour of changing from the current motion to this one, please raise your hands.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Is there no discussion on this?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mr. Stanton, I think that's why we took it with us, so that everybody could--

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

If they wish to give a reason to accept it, Madam Chair, if you don't mind my suggestion....

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

That's why I asked. I want consensus that if we proceed with this, everybody has had an opportunity to read it. So unless they have real, specific questions...and if they have specific questions, they can ask. Is that fair enough? Say, if they wanted to know, “Why did you want to reduce quorum?”, because it has been presented by the government side.

Is that fair enough? Can we proceed that way so that if they have a question, they can ask a question? If they have read it and do not have a question, then we can perhaps vote on it.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

What you're suggesting is that we just vote on each one--

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Yes, one at a time.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

--and if opposition members don't favour what's been proposed, then they have an opportunity to either say yea or nay with no discussion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Or they can ask for discussion, if they want. The floor is open to them, because I think the government side understands where they're coming from. It's the opposition that may not understand where you're coming from. Everyone has had, I think, four or five days to review it, and that's why I'm trying to seek consensus. If everybody's in agreement, and we can proceed that way, we can make the business go faster.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

If the committee so chooses. I would just think in the course of making decisions about items where we have proposed some changes that we would have the opportunity to speak to it, even briefly. But to not have the opportunity to at least provide some background or rationale seems to me--

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Can I seek the committee's indulgence? The only people who wouldn't understand are on that side of the House.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Madam Chair, if I may, we're having a debate about--

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Just one second. I think Ms. Mathyssen was before you.

Ms. Mathyssen.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

While I understand the issue around having a discussion, we have indeed read this. There are very pressing concerns about the work of this committee, so I really don't want to devote an inordinate amount of time to this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Okay. I appreciate where you're coming from.

Mr. Stanton, perhaps we could keep 45 minutes for the whole of this. We could go through each one--reduced quorum, distribution of documents--and you could say for one minute why you did what you did.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

I don't think we should set a timeframe. Let's proceed and do the best we can on this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ms. Minna.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Thank you.

I'm sorry, Madam Chair. Since Mr. Stanton has suggested he would like to introduce it, maybe it wouldn't hurt us to understand immediately from him or any of the members exactly what they're thinking. Some of us could choose to rebut and then move on as quickly as we can. I think that would be fair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

That's why I was seeking approval to allocate a specific time limit of 30 or 45 minutes. But we shouldn't go into an inordinate amount of debate over something we've already read.

Ms. Demers wants to say something, and then you can give us your raison d'être, Mr. Stanton.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Thank you Madam Chair.

Just before Mr. Stanton objects to your suggested manner of proceeding, I would like to remind the committee that we have already voted on how we are going to proceed. Why is there now an attempt to change that?

Madam Chair, I really want this committee to be effective, and I really think it would be a good idea to have a specific amount time allocated to these routine motions. These are simply routine motions, there's nothing out of the ordinary about them. If we deal with them, we can move on to planning our future business. It is important that we get that done. Let us set aside a specific amount of time for these motions. We have all read the resolutions as well as the motions. We know why they have been tabled.

If Mr. Stanton wishes, he can take a couple of minutes to explain them, but we are ready to vote on these motions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I'm sure Mr. Stanton is well aware that everybody is very keen to see this agenda of the standing committee move forward.

Mr. Stanton, I will give you a minute or so to explain and perhaps do two together--reduced quorum and distribution of documents.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

The proposals for these changes to the routine motions were not in any way intended to curtail, block, or become an obstacle to the proceedings of the committee. These suggestions would serve the purposes of all party members who participate in the committee. There's nothing aggressive or overt in this.

We'd be happy to withhold some of the additions. They are proposals. If they're not acceptable to committee members, let's move on quickly.

On reduced quorum, look at the first paragraph that has been proposed by the government members. Exclude the second paragraph for the moment. If you were to take the first paragraph with the addition of one member of the government, that would be quite acceptable.

The first wording stated there be two vice-chairs and a member of the opposition party. We're making that a little more flexible by saying there should be three members present, including one opposition member, in case the vice-chairs are not able to make it. Then other members of the committee can attend. As long as there are three members of the committee, including one opposition member and one government member, this provides some flexibility. That's my suggestion on reduced quorum.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Next is the distribution of documents.