Jason Jacques made a statement and, with the other witnesses, answered questions.

Kelly Block moved, — That the committee recommend that the Prime Minister’s Office and Privy Council Office submit to the committee a short list of candidates for the permanent Parliamentary Budget Officer position; that the committee conduct interviews with the shortlisted candidates as part of the consultation process specified in the Parliament of Canada Act; and that, unless otherwise decided by unanimous consent of the House of Commons, an appointment to the position of Parliamentary Budget Officer shall be made only if the nominee has been selected by the unanimous agreement of the committee, which includes members from each recognized party in the House; and that the House be so informed by way of a report from this committee.

Debate arose thereon.

At 12:35 p.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 12:41 p.m., the meeting resumed.

A point of order was raised as to the procedural acceptability of the proposed motion.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The Chair ruled the motion admissible and that it may be moved without 48 hours' notice since it related directly to the business then under consideration.

Whereupon, Iqra Khalid appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: ''Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?'' was put and the decision was sustained on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Kelly Block, Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Tamara Jansen, Philip Lawrence - 4;

NAYS: Karim Bardeesy, Vince Gasparro, Iqra Khalid, Pauline Rochefort - 4.

Accordingly, the Chair's decision was sustained.

The debate continued

Iqra Khalid moved, — That the committee do now adjourn.

The question was put on the motion and the result of the vote was announced:

YEAS: Karim Bardeesy, Vince Gasparro, Iqra Khalid, Pauline Rochefort — 4;

NAYS: Kelly Block, Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Jacques Gourde, Tamara Jansen — 4.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the negative.

Accordingly, the motion was negatived.

After debate, the question was put on the motion, as amended, and the result of the vote was announced:

YEAS: Kelly Block, Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Jacques Gourde, Tamara Jansen — 4;

NAYS: Iqra Khalid, Viviane Lapointe, Pauline Rochefort, Sameer Zuberi — 4.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the affirmative.

Accordingly, the motion, as amended, was agreed to.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(c), the committee mandate its Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure to consider nominations for the position of Parliamentary Budget Officer; that the committee’s routine motions apply to the subcommittee; that the Office of the Prime Minister and the Privy Council Office submit to the subcommittee a short list of candidates, no later than 14 days after the adoption of this motion, for the permanent Parliamentary Budget Officer position; that the subcommittee deliberate in camera and review the nominations and, if necessary, conduct interviews with the shortlisted candidates as part of the consultation process specified in the Parliament of Canada Act; and that, unless otherwise decided by unanimous consent of the House, an appointment to the position of Parliamentary Budget Officer shall be made only if the nominee has been selected by unanimous agreement of the subcommittee, which includes members from each recognized party in the House; and that the House be so informed by way of a report from the committee.