FAIT Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Meeting No. 148
Friday, September 17, 1999
The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs met jointly in a televised session at 10:05 a.m. this day, in Room 253-D, Centre Block, the Vice-Chair, Colleen Beaumier and the Chair Pat O'Brien, presiding.
Members of the Committee present: Sarkis Assadourian, André Bachand, Colleen Beaumier, Maud Debien, Hon. Sheila Finestone, Bob Mills, Bernard Patry, Charlie Penson, Svend Robinson, Darrel Stinson.
Acting Members present: Bob Kilger for Bill Graham; Marlene Catterall for Jerry Pickard; Ian Murray for Bob Speller; Yves Rocheleau for Benoît Sauvageau; Francine Lalonde for Daniel Turp.
Other Member present: Elsie Wayne.
Members of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs present: Robert Bertrand, Hec Clouthier, Gordon Earle, Art Hanger, Pat O'Brien, John O'Reilly, David Pratt, George Proud, John Richardson.
Acting Members of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs present: Paul Mercier for René Laurin.
Members of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs present: Hon. John Stewart, Hon. Raynell Andreychuk, Hon. Peter Stollery; Hon. Pierre De Bané.
In attendance: From the Parliamentary Research Branch of the Library of Parliament: James Lee; Corinne McDonald, Research Officers. From Committees and Legislative Services: Eugene Morawski, Committee Clerk.
Appearing: Hon. Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Hon. Arthur C. Eggleton, Minister of National Defence; Hon. Maria Minna, Minister for International Cooperation.
Witnesses: From the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Paul Heinbecker, Assistant Deputy Minister, Global and Security Policy. From the Department of National Defence: Lt-Gen Raymond R. Henault, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff. From the Canadian International Development Agency: Jean-Marc Metivier, Acting President.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee convened a briefing session on Canada's involvement in East Timor.
The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, the Honorouble Art Eggleton, and the Honourable Maria Minna each made an opening statement and, with Lt. Gen Raymond Henault, answered questions.
A point of order was raised as to the procedural acceptability of allowing a Senator to pose questions to the witnesses. The Chair then ruled:
RULING BY THE CHAIR
Citation 569(3) of Beauchesne's Fifth Edition states that "Committees are and must remain masters of their own procedure." The majority of members of the Committee wish to allow the Senator to have the floor. I therefore rule that the Senator may proceed to pose questions to the Ministers and their officials.
The Ministers and their officials continued to answer questions.
Whereupon Svend Robinson appealed the decision of the Chair.
The question was put on the decision and it was overturned on the following recorded division:
YEAS:
Marlene Catterall
Bob Kilger
Ian Murray
Bernard Patry --4
NAYS:
Maud Debien
Francine Lalonde
Bob Mills
Yves Rocheleau
Svend Robinson --5
At 12:23 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.
Janice Hilchie
Clerk of the Committee