ENVI Committee Meeting

     Honourable members of the committee, I see a quorum.

    I must inform members that the clerk of the committee can only receive motions for the election of the chair. The clerk cannot receive other types of motions, cannot entertain points of order, nor participate in debate.

     We may now elect the chair.

     Pursuant to standing order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the government party.

     I am ready to receive motions for the election of the chair.

    Mr. Choquette, you have the floor.

     I nominate Mr. Harold Albrecht.

    Are there any other motions on this?

     Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

    Some hon. members: Agreed.

     (Motion agreed to)

    The Clerk: I declare the motion carried and Mr. Harold Albrecht duly elected chair of the committee.

    Before inviting Mr. Albrecht to take the chair, if the committee wishes, we will now proceed to the election of the vice-chairs.

     Pursuant to standing order 106(2), the first vice-chair must be a member of the official opposition.

     I am now ready to receive motions for the election of the first vice-chair.

     Mr. Carrie, you have the floor.

     I would like to nominate my colleague Mr. Choquette.

     Are there any other motions?

     Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt this motion?

     Some hon. members: Agreed.

     (Motion agreed to)

    The Clerk: I declare the motion carried and Mr. Choquette duly elected first vice-chair of the committee.

    Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the second vice-chair must be a member of an opposition party other than the official opposition. I am now prepared to receive a motion for the second vice-chair.

    Mr. Carrie.

    I'd like to propose Mr. McKay.

    It has been moved by Mr. Carrie that Mr. McKay be elected as second vice-chair of the committee.

    Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

    Some hon. members: Agreed.

    (Motion agreed to)

    The Clerk: I declare the motion carried and Mr. McKay duly elected second vice-chair of the committee

    I now invite Mr. Albrecht to take the chair.

    Thank you, committee members, for your confidence, and thank you for the great working relationship we've had over the past year or so. We've tabled a number of great reports in the House of Commons on such things as urban conservation, habitat conservation, and we're looking forward to embarking on another study very shortly.

    My proposal is that at this point we talk briefly about commencing the Great Lakes water quality study. I don't see them in front of me, but I'm going to quickly find and read the criteria.

    I am going to propose that for committee business, we go in camera at this point.

    Mr. McKay.

    In light of the change in the composition of the committee, I wonder whether we should make changes with respect to questions as well, because we've dropped an NDP member and a Conservative member. I was at a committee yesterday where they simply dropped the final two questions from the order of questioning and then went back to the way it was before. I just wonder whether we actually need a motion to do that as a way of going forward.

    Mr. McKay, I suggest that because we haven't considered this prior to this point, we wait until we go in camera to discuss it.

    I want to suspend just for one minute and then go in camera.

     [Proceedings continue in camera]