[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]
Thursday, March 7, 1996
.0938 
[Translation]
The Clerk of the Committee: Honourable members, I see a quorum. Pursuant to Standing Orders 106(1) and 106(2), the first item of business is the election of the Chair.
[English]
I am ready to receive motions to that effect.
[Translation]
Mr. Boudria (Glengarry - Prescott - Russell): I move that Mr. Charles Caccia be elected Chair of this committee.
Mr. Asselin (Charlevoix): I second the motion.
The Clerk: Mr. Boudria moves, seconded by Mr. Asselin, that Mr. Caccia do take the Chair of the committee.
[English]
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the said motion?
Mr. Martin (Esquimalt - Juan de Fuca): On a point of order -
The Clerk: If you look at your agenda, which should have been -
Mr. Martin: It's just a question of -
The Clerk: I cannot recognize points of order. I am here only to elect the chair.
Mr. Martin: A quick question, if I may.
The Clerk: A question.
Mr. Martin: I wondered if Mr. Boudria has been subbed into the committee.
The Clerk: Mr. Boudria is a substitute for Mr. Caccia.
Mr. Martin: Thank you.
Mr. Boudria: I can substitute myself on any committee.
The Clerk: The question is whether it is the pleasure of the committee to adopt the said motion, that Mr. Caccia assume the chair of this committee.
.0940
Motion agreed to
The Clerk: I declare Mr. Caccia elected chair in absentia.
[Translation]
Since the Chairperson is absent, I suggest that the committee appoint an Acting Chair to preside over the election of the two vice-chair.
[English]
Since Mr. Caccia is absent, we will now proceed to the election of a chair for this meeting. That chair will preside over the election of the two vice-chairs. Do I have a motion to that effect?
Mrs. Kraft Sloan (York - Simcoe): I propose that Mr. Adams chair this meeting.
The Clerk: It is proposed by Ms Kraft Sloan that Peter Adams chair this meeting. Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the said motion?
Motion agreed to
The Clerk: I declare Mr. Adams elected chair of this committee for this meeting.
Congratulations, Mr. Adams.
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): Thank you very much.
[Translation]
Mr. Asselin: I move that Mrs. Monique Guay be elected Vice-Chair of the committee.
[English]
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): I've been advised that the procedure is that I announce what the next item of business is. This gives me something to do, Mr. Asselin. The first item of business is the election of the vice-chair, and I would welcome -
Mr. Strahl (Fraser Valley East): I would like to nominate Keith Martin for the position of vice-chair.
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): Okay, we have a nomination.
Mr. Lavigne (Verdun - Saint-Paul): I would like to nominate Jean Payne as vice-chair.
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): I'm going to start again, but I did hear the nominations. By way of explanation for Mr. Asselin, my understanding is that I would call the item on the agenda, which I did...and I'm not, by the way, blocking your motion. It's just that my understanding is that it came before I announced the item on the agenda. I will accept your nomination again in a moment. But I did call the agenda item, and I received a motion over here.
Do I go one, two, three motions, or do I take each motion separately?
I hope members of the committee will excuse me for a moment, because I've just arrived and I'm a newly elected, very temporary chair. I think it would be better if I regrouped.
Again, my apologies to you all, my colleagues. I'm going to proceed the way I did.
Mr. Asselin, because your motion was before I announced the agenda item, it's not an official motion. I announced the agenda item for the vice-chair from the opposition. I've received a motion and I'll accept this motion first. If this motion passes, I will proceed to the election of the vice-chair from the government side. But if this motion fails, I'll come back to your motion.
Could we have that again, please, Chuck?
Mr. Strahl: I'd like to nominate Keith Martin for the position of vice-chair.
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): Okay, we have the nomination of Mr. Martin for vice-chair for the opposition.
Mr. Strahl: Could I speak to the motion?
.0945
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): Yes, please.
Mr. Strahl: Temporary though you may be, thank you for that.
I'd like to talk briefly about Keith Martin. Dr. Keith Martin is very well qualified to hold this position. As the committee knows, he has a long-standing interest in environmental affairs. He has the educational background to make his impact on the committee and has shown leadership on the environmental issues. He's well-travelled. He's lived in Africa and in other areas around the world. He has an understanding and an empathy for the issues we will be discussing on this committee.
So I'd like you seriously to consider Dr. Martin as a vice-chair. You would be doing the committee and Canadians proud with Dr. Martin as your vice-chairman.
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): I call the vote on this motion, which is that the vice-chair for the opposition be Dr. Keith Martin.
Mr. Strahl: Could we have a recorded vote on this, please?
Motion negatived: nays 8; yeas 2
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): Mr. Asselin.
[Translation]
Mr. Asselin: Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Guay is very knowledgeable about environmental matters. She has been following this issue closely for several months now and, in addition, she serves as the Official Opposition's environment critic. Therefore, I move that she be elected Vice-Chair of the committee.
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): Mr. Asselin moves that Mrs. Guay be elected Vice-Chair of the committee.
[English]
Mr. Strahl: Could we ask for a recorded vote again, please?
Motion agreed to: yeas 8; nays 2
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): I call for nominations for the position of vice-chair for the government side.
Mr. Lavigne: I nominate Jean Payne.
[Translation]
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): Mr. Lavigne moves that Mrs. Payne be elected Vice-Chair.
[English]
Motion agreed to
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Adams): Mrs. Payne is the vice-chair for the government side.
This meeting stands adjourned.