Evidence of meeting #1 for Veterans Affairs 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
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr
Are you okay with that? You have the amended motion before you. Please indicate whether you are in favour or opposed.
(Motion agreed to)
Now, on notice of motions, there was some discussion. Did we end up with--
Conservative
Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
I propose the following: that 48 hours' notice shall be required for any substantive motion to be considered by the committee, and that the motion shall be filed and distributed to members by the clerk in both official languages. Completed motions that are received by close of business shall be distributed to members the same day.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr
Is everyone okay with that?
(Motion agreed to)
Those are the routine motions. What else do we...?
Sorry, just before that, the clerk advised me that what Mr. Stoffer actually raised on the cameras was that when a minister's attendance is motionable, the committee will have to make a decision as to whether it wants cameras automatically or whether it wants to leave that open until prior to that meeting.
I think you're suggesting it be automatic when ministers are here?
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Yes. I don't know any minister who's ever said no to that opportunity. It gives us a chance, and it gives the wider audience a chance, to see the minister and to hear what the minister and departmental staff are saying. It's just an opportunity.
Conservative
Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB
Mr. Chair, I just have a question on the room. Is there that capacity in room 112 north?
NDP
Conservative
Conservative
Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
Mr. Chair, I think that's acceptable, but perhaps we could make it subject to best efforts.
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
That's fair enough. There are certain circumstances. The minister's schedule is always up in the air. If we can actually get the minister at an appropriate time, that's always a good thing. I'm sure the chair is a decent fellow, and he will do the best he can to accommodate that, but there will be circumstances in which it can't happen and we'll have to live with that, and that will be fine.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
I understand that ministers have challenging schedules, but my experience has been that every time a minister has given testimony, we have indeed had it televised. I think that is very important, particularly in the case of veterans. They don't have access to this place, and they need to see the minister. They need to have that opportunity. So I would underscore that it is very important that the minister's appearance always be televised.
Conservative
Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB
Thank you. I appreciate it.
It's not that anybody has anything to hide, but when you put in writing that something has to be a certain way all the time and it's a motion by the committee that we have to go through every time even if we don't want to do it, there will be circumstances, as we see sometimes, in which we need to go in camera and other circumstances that preclude us from having the cameras going.
I have to say that in the past two and half years I've served on this committee, it's been very collegial. It's not like some of the other committees I've been on in which things get fairly acrimonious. I'm sure the chair will ensure that we have cameras whenever possible, but there will be some circumstances in which it would not be appropriate for the cameras to be there. If we put this in motion and underscore that, then I think we end up tying our hands somewhat.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr
Before we go further, could I respond?
My understanding, from Mr. Stoffer's reaction to the PS's intervention, is that we make the best effort we can to have cameras. That means making sure we schedule the right place that can be adapted and so on. It won't be automatic that there will be, but certainly the request will be made on behalf of the committee that cameras be made available when the minister's here, and there will be some flexibility. We don't want to cancel the meeting if it turns out we can't get a larger room or we're back in room 112 or something.
Can we leave it with that general understanding, that we'll make our best efforts to have the camera in place when ministers are in attendance? Is that reasonable? Is everybody comfortable with that?
We can reflect that in the motion.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
What other stuff do you have for us here?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr
Before you go off on your tangent, this is, as I said, introductory. We have this wonderful clerk here, I think, for one meeting, and then we'll be changing again at some point. Personal matters are taking her away. It's got nothing to do with giving up on us already.
We wish you all the best, by the way, in that regard.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Greg Kerr
I just want to indicate—and there will certainly be clerk services and analyst services—that it's really important that in the time before the September meetings all members really think carefully about the items they want brought forward for consideration by the committee. We have some time to work on that and think about it. I know there are some very important items, and there's also some unfinished business we didn't get through from the last time. But I think every member should have the time to reflect on it and have the discussions with their own folks to see what they want to bring forward.
I'd ask you all to take that seriously. Don't come back in September and say, “Oh, we should sit down and think about it.” I think we want to come back fully prepared to move on the agenda as punctually as we possibly can. Okay?
You had another comment?
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
There are just a couple of things.
Prior to the last meeting—and you were there as well, sir—there was a letter from the clerk that was going to go to the new chair regarding the unfinished business. It's now been almost five months that we've been waiting for the 24 resumés of the individuals on VRAB, the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. Something that should take 12 hours has taken five months.
NDP
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
I just reiterate again that it would be nice to have that.
One of the concerns we had—and you even expressed it yourself, sir—was with the qualifications of the people on the VRAB. We would just like to know who they are. That request was granted. We just haven't seen the documents yet.