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House of Commons Emblem

Board of Internal Economy

NUMBER 004 
l
1st SESSION 
l
44th PARLIAMENT 

TRANSCRIPT

Thursday, February 10, 2022

[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]

  (1105)  

[English]

    I want to welcome everyone to meeting number four of the Board of Internal Economy.
    I want to welcome two gentlemen here—Mr. Calkins and Mr. Brassard—who are joining us as new members. Welcome. We look forward to working together.
    I understand that Mr. Calkins will be joining Mr. MacKinnon as our official voice of this committee. It's a great responsibility. I'm sure the two of you will work well together and go from there.
    Mr. Julian, before going to the minutes of the previous meeting, do you have a point of order or a request to make?

[Translation]

    I move that, today only, we meet in camera before the public portion of the meeting, which will be televised and available to the public. I think that's the best way to structure our meeting today.
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    Do I have unanimous consent for that?
    Did you want to comment, Mrs. DeBellefeuille? Go ahead.
Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille (Whip of the Bloc Québécois):
    I'm not opposed to meeting in camera to discuss the two agenda items in question, but Mr. Chair, I have some important things to say about item No. 2, business arising from previous meeting, Specifically, I want to talk about interpretation quality and technical issues that arise during meetings. I want to make sure that we will indeed have a chance to discuss item 2. I want to give the honourable members a heads‑up that I have much to say about what is happening right now in committees. I understand that we urgently need to discuss the two in‑camera agenda items and I support the honourable member's motion. However, I would ask that you not exhaust the discussion so that I can speak to item No. 2.
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    That is duly noted.
    Before the committee goes in camera, I want to deal with item No. 1, minutes of previous meeting. Is everyone okay with the minutes? Are there any changes that need to be made?
    Seeing that no one has any, we will continue.
    We'll take a quick break to move in camera.
    [Proceedings continue in camera]

  (1105)  

  (1150)  

    [Public proceedings resume]

  (1250)  

Hon. Anthony Rota:
    I was asked to start with items 3, 4 and 5.
    I think we can deal with item 5 quickly.
    Are there any comments on item 5, the interim budget for the Special Committee on Afghanistan?
    Is everyone in agreement?

[English]

     Mr. Julian, are you okay with that?

[Translation]

Mr. Peter Julian:
    Yes. I said “agreed”, Mr. Chair.
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    Everyone agrees. Great.
    Ratification of the two decisions that were already made—
    Did you want to comment, Mr. MacKinnon?
Hon. Steven MacKinnon (Chief Government Whip):
    Is the cost of the rapid tests being added to the operating budget? Is it an eligible expense?
Mr. Michel Patrice (Deputy Clerk, Administration, House of Commons):
    Actually, it's coming out of the core budget for a certain number of rapid tests.
Hon. Steven MacKinnon:
    You are supplying them. Is that right?
Mr. Michel Patrice:
    The House is supplying them, and the rapid tests will be distributed to members and constituency office staff. The money for the tests will come out of the core budget, up to $1,200, if I'm not mistaken. It won't come out of your office budgets.
Hon. Steven MacKinnon:
    Will the tests be sent to our constituency offices?
Mr. Michel Patrice:
    You'll have two options. You can choose to have them sent to your Hill office so that you can bring them to your constituency office, or if you need help getting them to your constituency office, we can have them couriered.
Hon. Steven MacKinnon:
    That will wipe out the entire budget from the get-go. You're going to spend $1,200 on rapid tests—
Mr. Michel Patrice:
    No, the budget won't be used up from the get-go.
Hon. Steven MacKinnon:
    It will—
Mr. Michel Patrice:
    It will be done in stages. That way, the administration can adjust the amount, the budget cap.
Hon. Steven MacKinnon:
    All we need to know now is when the tests will be distributed.
Mr. Michel Patrice:
    It will be done soon. We already have a first batch of rapid tests to distribute.
Hon. Steven MacKinnon:
    Thank you.
Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille:
    Can you hear me, Mr. Chair?
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    Yes, Mrs. DeBellefeuille. We can hear you.
Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille:
    Are we still in camera?
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    No, we are no longer in camera.

  (1255)  

Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille:
    All right.
    How will the information about the rapid tests go out? How will members be informed as to how and when the tests will be delivered? Will it be next week?
    I'd like a bit of information on how exactly the rapid tests will be delivered to members' offices.
Mr. Michel Patrice:
    We already have information ready to be sent out, provided that the Board of Internal Economy adopts the motion. That means it should be by the end of the day.
Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille:
    Thank you.
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    Great.
    We will now move on to item No. 3.
    Mr. Patrice will be speaking to that item. Go ahead.
Mr. Michel Patrice:
    Actually, it was the decision to extend the COVID‑19 preventative measures to February 28, but I think the previous decision—
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    —makes it a moot point.
Mr. Michel Patrice:
    Yes.
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    Great.
Mr. Michel Patrice:
    We have to approve the decision that was made.
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    Do I need the committee's consent?

[English]

    We have your consent for number three, even though we did pass something that overrules it. It was a little bit confusing there. I thought it was a moot point.

[Translation]

Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille:
    You just have to say that the item is null and void. The committee can't agree to an item that is null and void, Mr. Chair.
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    It's more about the procedure. We want to make sure we've ratified what we decided previously.
Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille:
    Precisely.
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    There are no consequences to our decision.
Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille:
    I have something to propose.
    It's now 12:56. As I told you at the beginning of the meeting, I had a lot to say about item 2, business arising from previous meeting. However, since we have so little time remaining, I humbly move that I be allowed to speak to the matter at our next meeting. I have many questions I want to ask.
    I have done my homework. I read the Liaison Committee's report carefully, I looked at the dashboard, and I have numerous questions to ask. Since we have just three minutes until the meeting ends, it would be a shame if I had to rush through everything and didn't have my fellow members' full attention. I move that we not discuss item 2 today, if possible.
Hon. Anthony Rota:
    I think that's a good idea, because the interpreters will be here next week to give a presentation, and the two issues are related. Are you okay if we add them to the agenda for our next meeting?
    I see we have agreement, so that's what we'll do. Great.
    Thank you for your patience, Mrs. DeBellefeuille.

[English]

     Number two is business arising from the previous meetings. I think we've done that.
    We have covered everything.
    Thank you very much.
    The meeting is adjourned.
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