LANG Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Official Languages met at 3:30 p.m. this day, in Room 228, La Promenade Building, the Chair, the Hon. Michael D. Chong, presiding.

Pursuant to the motion adopted on Monday, November 4, the Committee resumed consideration of the motion of Jacques Gourde, which read as follow:

That one copy of the transcript of each in camera meeting be kept in the Committee Clerk’s office for consultation by members of the Committee.

The debate continued.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Jacques Gourde moved, — That, at the discretion of the Chair, the witnesses from any one organization shall be allowed ten (10) minutes to make their opening statement. During the questioning of witnesses there shall be allocated seven (7) minutes for the first round of questioning, and thereafter five (5) minutes shall be allocated to each questioner in the second and subsequent rounds of questioning.

That the order of questions shall be as follows:

for the first round of questioning: Official Opposition, Government party, third party, Government party;

for the second round of questioning, the Government party members and Opposition members shall alternate in the following fashion: Government party, Official Opposition, Government party, Official Opposition, Government party, Official Opposition, Government party; based on the principle that each committee member should have a full opportunity to question the witness.

If time permits, further rounds shall repeat the pattern of the first two at the discretion of the Chair.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Jacques Gourde moved, — That any member of the Committee be entitled to submit a dissenting or supplementary opinion to any Committee report in accordance to the Standing Orders of the House, provided that it is no more than five (5) pages in length and submitted electronically, in both official languages, to the Clerk in the 48 hours following the adoption of a report; and that 48 hours’ notice be calculated in the same manner as for the House.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Jacques Gourde moved, — That, in relation to Orders of Reference form the House respecting Bills,

(a) the Clerk of the Committee shall, upon the Committee receiving such on Order of Reference, write to each Member who is not a member of a caucus represented on the Committee to invite those Members to file, in a letter to the Chair of the Committee, in both official languages, any amendments to the Bill, which is the subject of the said Order, which they would suggest that the Committee consider;

(b) suggested amendments filed, pursuant to paragraph (a), at least 48 hours prior to the start of clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill to which the amendments relate shall be deemed to be proposed during the said consideration, provided that the Committee may, by motion, vary this deadline in respect of a given Bill; and

(c) during the clause-by-clause consideration of a Bill, the Chair shall allow a Member who filed suggested amendments, pursuant to paragraph (a), an opportunity to make brief representations in support of them.

Lise St-Denis moved, — That the motion be amended by replacing all the words after “Bill” in paragraph (c) with the following: “which is to be scheduled so as to ensure that no two clause-by-clause considerations of Bills by a Standing Committee are scheduled concurrently, the Chair shall allow a Member who filed suggested amendments, pursuant to paragraph (a), an opportunity to: participate fully in clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill, subject to SO 76(5); make representations in support in the amendments commensurate to speaking privileges enjoyed by full members of the Committee; and participate in any in camera meetings”.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Lise St-Denis and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 1; NAYS: 10.

At 4:21 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.