HAFF Committee Meeting

STANDING COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS

COMITÉ PERMANENT DE LA PROCÉDURE ET DES AFFAIRES DE LA CHAMBRE

EVIDENCE

[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]

Thursday, September 27, 2001

• 1533

[English]

The Clerk of the Committee (Mr. Patrice Martin): Honourable members, I see a quorum.

The first item of business is election of a chair. I'm ready to entertain motions.

Mr. Steve Mahoney (Mississauga West, Lib.): I move that Peter Adams be the chair.

Mr. Peter MacKay (Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, PC/DR): I second the motion.

The Clerk: Mr. Mahoney, seconded by Mr. MacKay, moves that Mr. Adams take the chair.

(Motion agreed to)

[Translation]

The Chair (Mr. Peter Adams (Peterborough, Lib.)): Dear colleagues, I am delighted to have been elected Chair of this committee. Thanks to each and everyone of you. I will try to prove myself worthy of this honour.

[English]

There are a few other items. One has to do with vice-chairs. It's my understanding that the government vice-chair will remain the same, but there will be a change in the—

Ms. Marlene Catterall (Ottawa West—Nepean, Lib.): Unless he resigns, that's the case.

The Chair: He's not here, but let's assume that is the case.

Could I have a motion for the opposition vice-chair, please?

Ms. Marlene Catterall: I am happy to move that Mr. Dick Harris assume the position of opposition vice-chair.

The Chair: Are there any other nominations?

(Motion agreed to)

The Chair: There's a question of the subcommittees, I think, on this same thing.

• 1535

Is that on your list?

The Clerk: Do you want to do the committee lists first or the subcommittees?

The Chair: Could we do the subcommittees first?

The Clerk: Yes.

The Chair: Okay.

Let's move to item 3. To my mind, the question of changes on the subcommittees is part of the same process. We're simply rejigging the committee so we can get started.

So item 3 is with regard to the Sub-committee on Private Members' Business. This is important.

I understand, Carolyn, there's a meeting next week.

Mrs. Carolyn Parrish (Mississauga Centre, Lib.): Yes, and I also am doing it out of the goodness of my heart, hoping we will get a new victim—

The Chair: Yes, we'll face up to that later.

Mrs. Carolyn Parrish: No, no, no.

The Chair: But on this question of additional names, what do we need?

The Clerk: Mr. Borotsik is no longer on the subcommittee. We need a replacement.

The Chair: Okay. We need a replacement for Rick Borotsik.

Peter MacKay.

Mr. Peter MacKay: Mr. Chair, I am here substituting for Jay Hill, who was replacing Rick Borotsik.

The Chair: So your assumption, then, is that Jay will replace Rick, as well, on this subcommittee.

Mr. Peter MacKay: Correct.

The Chair: Okay.

It's moved by Peter MacKay that Jay Hill be the additional member of the private members' business subcommittee.

An hon. member: Seconded.

The Chair: We don't need a second, but we have one from the Liberal side, and we appreciate that.

(Motion agreed to)

The Chair: Item 4 relates to the subcommittee on agenda and procedure, or the steering committee. I guess it's a similar thing.

The Clerk: Yes—Mr. Borotsik and Mr. Bergeron.

The Chair: Okay, we have two. Stéphane Bergeron is no longer with us. Is someone going to move that Pierre be a member of the subcommittee on agenda and procedure?

Mr. Peter MacKay: I so move.

The Chair: Peter MacKay moves that Pierre Brien be a new member of the subcommittee on agenda and procedure.

(Motion agreed to)

The Chair: Peter MacKay, your motion.

Mr. Peter MacKay: Jay Hill.

The Chair: Peter MacKay moves that Jay Hill be a new member of the subcommittee on agenda and procedure.

(Motion agreed to)

The Chair: Thank you very much for that.

Mr. Regan.

Mr. Geoff Regan (Halifax West, Lib.): Mr. Chairman, on a point of order, just to be clear, does this mean that they replace people who are already there? Is that what it says?

The Chair: Exactly. They replace colleagues who have left the committee.

Mr. Geoff Regan: I just wanted to check that. Thank you.

The Chair: Item 2 has to do with the draft report we have before us for membership of committees. I would remind you all that this is confidential until tabled in the House of Commons.

Are there any comments on the report? I know most of us have only just received it, but I also know the parties have been working very hard on it for some time.

Yes, Joe.

Mr. Joe Jordan (Leeds—Grenville, Lib.): Mr. Chair, is it your intention to table this today?

The Chair: I'm in the hands of the committee, but as far as I'm concerned, the sooner it's in the House of Commons, the better. I understand we have to deal with it by tomorrow, since that's the tenth day. But if it could be dealt with today, so much the better.

Dick Harris.

Mr. Richard Harris (Prince George—Bulkley Valley, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Chairman, could we just have a moment to scan this? We'd sure appreciate it.

The Chair: By all means.

Mr. Richard Harris: Thank you.

The Chair: Colleagues, take two or three minutes to look at the report.

• 1540

The Chair: I would remind you that we can certainly, as a committee, submit reports later adjusting this—and by the way, we always do, I think—as long as it doesn't interrupt people reading. I did it, I know.

Marlene.

Ms. Marlene Catterall: Generally, once the committees are struck, Mr. Chair, unless my memory going back to June is false, the whips will agree if there are to be changes to the committee, and it's tabled in that way. It doesn't even have to come back to the committee. We set up the whips as a subcommittee, if I recall.

The Chair: Did everyone understand that?

Carolyn Parrish.

Mrs. Carolyn Parrish: I just want to point out to all concerned that I'm again on the health committee, and that committee and this one always meet at exactly the same time. I thought that was going to be changed. It's up to you guys, but I can only be at one place at one time.

An hon. member: It depends on which one you're going to go to.

Mrs. Carolyn Parrish: I always come here.

The Chair: That's a problem I've never faced before, Carolyn, but I will face up to it next week.

Mrs. Carolyn Parrish: Well, I'll be here.

The Chair: I know you're reading through this, but are there any other comments or suggestions?

Colleagues, I do have one change that's here already—that Bryon Wilfert be struck from Canadian Heritage.

An hon. member: Couldn't it be a little nicer?

The Chair: I'm glad you're only a sub here, Mahoney.

Mrs. Carolyn Parrish: Can you take a motion to strike me from health?

The Chair: No, I won't.

Is there any other?

I'm going to ask then for someone to move that the committee accept this report, with the proviso that the researchers and the clerk be authorized to make such typographical and editorial changes as may be necessary without changing the substance of the report.

Mr. Geoff Regan: I so move.

(Motion agreed to)

The Chair: There's been a suggestion that I might submit it to the House today. Would the committee agree? Do I have agreement to ask for unanimous consent and ask for concurrence in this report today?

Ms. Marlene Catterall: Without debate?

The Chair: I'm easy. I'm being prompted from the right here.

Is that agreed?

Mr. Dick Harris: I would like to suggest, yes, unanimous consent without debate, provided the public accounts committee can continue to meet.

The Chair: Very good.

Are we agreed on that?

(Motion agreed to)

The Chair: Colleagues, I would suggest, unless you direct me otherwise, that we now adjourn, but that the steering committee—or whatever it's called—meet in this room at ll o'clock on Tuesday.

In the meantime, I would ask the clerk, if he would, to give us some sort of list of outstanding issues, and I know members of the steering committee will bring issues they want us to address.

Ms. Marlene Catterall: Mr. Chair, can I ask that the clerk remind us who is on the steering committee, please.

The Chair: Good thinking.

The Clerk: The steering committee is the whips.

The Chair: Plus me.

Has everyone got that?

Peter, are you okay with that? And you'll tell Jay that?

Mr. Peter MacKay: He is ill, just for your information, Mr. President. Hopefully he will be back next week.

The Chair: Okay.

[Translation]

Is that alright with you, Pierre?

• 1545

[English]

The meeting is adjourned until Tuesday at 11 o'clock in this room.