STATEMENT BY THE CHAIR

The Chair declared the decision on the motion moved by Jamie Schmale on Friday, May 29, 2020 null and void, on the basis that it was decided by way of a show of hands. Pursuant to the committee’s order of reference from April 20, 2020, while meeting by videoconference, motions should be decided by way of a recorded vote. The Chair put the decision before the committee, to be decided, by way of a recorded vote.

Jamie Schmale moved, — That, with respect to the Committee’s study of the government’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the committee invite the Wet’suwet’en elected Chiefs, specifically, Chief Rosemarie Skin, Skin Tyee Nation, Chief Dan George, Burns Lake Band (Ts’il Kaz Koh) First Nation, Chief Maureen Luggi, Wet’suwet’en First Nation, Chief Patricia Prince, Nee Tahi Buhn Indian Band, Hereditary Chief Herb Naziel, Hereditary Chief, Gary Naziel, Hereditary Chief Theresa Tait-Day, and others as required to provide testimony on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their ability to enter into open and transparent negotiations regarding land rights and title with the federal government.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Mel Arnold, Marc Dalton, Jamie Schmale, Gary Vidal — 4;

NAYS: Jaime Battiste, Sylvie Bérubé, Pam Damoff, Heather McPherson, Marcus Powlowski, Adam van Koeverden, Lenore Zann — 7.

The witnesses made statements and answered questions.