HAFF Committee Meeting

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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 2

Thursday, October 24, 2002

The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs met at 11:08 a.m. this day, in Room 112-N, Centre Block, the Chair, Peter Adams, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Peter Adams, Rick Borotsik, Pierre Brien, Marlene Catterall, Yvon Godin, Michel Guimond, Dale Johnston, Carolyn Parrish, Geoff Regan, John Reynolds, Jacques Saada, Werner Schmidt.

Acting Members present: André Harvey for Joe Jordan; John Harvard for Tony Tirabassi.

In attendance: From the Library of Parliament: James Robertson, Principal.

The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs met at 11:08 a.m. this day, in Room 112-N, Centre Block, the Chair, Peter Adams, presiding.

The Chair presented the Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, which read as follows:

REPORT OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGENDA AND PROCEDURE OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS

Your Subcommittee met on Tuesday, October 22, 2002, to discuss the future business of the Committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:

Television Broadcasting of Committee Proceedings

That the Committee consider presenting a report to the House recommending that the trial period for the guidelines on the broadcasting of committee proceedings be further extended past the December 31, 2002.

2001-2002 Performance Reports

That the Chair be authorized to invite the appropriate persons to appear before the Committee on the subject of the 2001-2002 Performance Reports of the House of Commons and Elections Canada.

Security on the Hill

That, with regard to security on the Hill, the Chair meet with his Senate counterpart and obtain from the appropriate authorities information concerning visits by student groups and tourists as well as staff strength and costs of security, and that the Committee reconsider this matter subsequently.

Electoral redistribution

That, with regard to electoral boundaries readjustment, the Chair send an information letter to all Members of the House concerning the redistribution process, and that the Committee consider seeking expert advice on the process and the role of the Committee.

Private Members’ Business

That the Committee appoint interim members to the Subcommittee on Private Members’ Business subject to the House’s concurrence in the list of associate members of the Committee.

That the Committee consider presenting a report reproducing the recommendations contained in the 66th Report of the first session of this Parliament.

Committee Elections by Secret Ballot

That the Committee consider a proposal by Mr. Reynolds to amend the Standing Orders to provide for secret ballot elections in committee.

Code of Conduct

That the Committee consider preparing a work plan to include a possible Order of Reference from the House regarding a Parliamentary code of conduct.

Respectfully submitted,

PETER ADAMS

Chair of the Subcommittee

On motion of John Reynolds, it was agreed, - That the Report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure be concurred in.

After debate, on motion of John Reynolds, it was agreed, - That the Subcommittee on Private Members’ Business be composed of Chuck Strahl, Michel Guimond, Yves Godin, Rick Borotsik, Tony Tirabassi and Marcel Proulx;

That Marcel Proulx be the Chair of the Subcommittee;

That the Subcommittee be charged with carrying out the responsibilities of the Committee under Standing Order 108(3)(a) insofar as Private Members’ Business and the consideration of business related to private bills is concerned; and

That the Subcommittee be granted all of the powers of the Committee pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), except the power to report directly to the House.

Pursuant to its mandate under Standing Order 108(3)(a)(iii) and to Order made earlier this day, the Committee considered the Standing Orders, procedure and practice related to the election of Chairs and Vice-Chairs of committees.

John Reynolds moved, - That the Committee report to the House the following recommendation:

“That Standing Order 106 be amended

(a) by replacing section (2) with the following:

“(2) Each standing or special committee shall elect a Chairman and two Vice-Chairmen, of whom two shall be Members of the government party and the third a Member in opposition to the government, at the commencement of every session and, if necessary, during the course of a session.”

(b) by inserting the following new section (3):

“(3) When more than one candidate is nominated for the office of Chairman or Vice-Chairman of a committee, the election shall be conducted by secret ballot as follows:

(a) the clerk of the committee, who shall preside over the election, shall announce the candidates to the committee members present and provide them with ballot papers;

(b) committee members wishing to indicate their choice for Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the committee shall print the first and last name of a candidate on the ballot paper;

(d) the clerk of the committee shall count the ballots and announce the name of the candidate who has received the majority of votes;

(e) if no candidate has received a majority of votes, a second ballot shall be taken, provided that the candidate with the least number of votes shall be dropped from the second ballot; balloting shall continue in this manner until a candidate receives a majority of votes, at which time the clerk shall destroy the ballots and in no way divulge the number of ballots cast for any candidate.”;

and that the Clerk be authorized to make any required editorial and consequential amendments.”

Debate arose.

Carolyn Parrish moved the following amendment, - That the motion be amended

- by replacing, everywhere in the English version, the terms “Chairman” and “Vice-Chairman” with the terms “Chair” and “Vice-Chair”;

- by replacing part (a) with the following:

“(a) by replacing section (2) with the following:

“(2) At the commencement of every session and, if necessary, during the course of a session, each standing or special committee shall elect a Chair and two Vice-Chairs, of whom the Chair and one Vice-Chair shall be Members of the government party and one Vice-Chair shall be a Member of the opposition. In the case of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, the Chair shall continue to be a Member of the Official Opposition and the Vice-Chairs shall be Members of the government party. In the case of the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations, the Co-Chair acting on behalf of the House shall be a Member of the Official Opposition and the Vice-Chairs shall be Members of the government party.””; and

- by adding after the words “consequential amendments” the following:

“and that the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs conduct a review of this new procedure before a second application takes place.”

Debate arose.

Geoff Regan moved the following subamendment, - That the amendment be amended by adding after the words “In the case of the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations, the Co-Chair acting on behalf of the House shall be a Member of the Official Opposition and the Vice-Chairs shall be Members of the government party.” in part (a) the following:

“Provided that the Chair and the government Vice-Chair shall be elected by the government Members and the opposition Vice-Chair shall be elected by the opposition Members of the committee.”

Debate arose.

The question was put on the subamendment and it was defeated by a show of hands: Yeas 7, Nays 8.

Debate continued on the amendment of Carolyn Parrish.

The question was put on the amendment and it was agreed to by a show of hands: Yeas 8, Nays 7.

The Committee considered the motion of John Reynolds, as amended, - - That the Committee report to the House the following recommendation:

“That Standing Order 106 be amended

(a) by replacing section (2) with the following:

(b) by inserting the following new section (3):

“(3) When more than one candidate is nominated for the office of Chair or Vice-Chair of a committee, the election shall be conducted by secret ballot as follows:

(a) the clerk of the committee, who shall preside over the election, shall announce the candidates to the committee members present and provide them with ballot papers;

(b) committee members wishing to indicate their choice for Chair or Vice-Chair of the committee shall print the first and last name of a candidate on the ballot paper;

(d) the clerk of the committee shall count the ballots and announce the name of the candidate who has received the majority of votes;

and that the Clerk be authorized to make any required editorial and consequential amendments and that the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs conduct a review of this new procedure before a second application takes place.”

Debate arose.

Marlene Catterall moved, - That the Committee do now adjourn.

The question was put on the motion as amended and the result of the vote by a show of hands was announced: Yeas 7, Nays 7.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the affirmative.

At 12:54 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Thomas Hall

Clerk of the Committee