HAFF Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs met at 11:12 a.m. this day, in Room 112-N, Centre Block, the Chair, Peter Adams, presiding.

On motion of Guy St-Julien, it was agreed, — That, pursuant to provisional Standing Order 91.1(1), the Subcommittee on Private Members' Business be composed of Garry Breitkreuz, Claude Duplain, Yvon Godin, Lynn Myers, Marcel Proulx and Benoît Sauvageau;

That Marcel Proulx be appointed Chair of the Subcommittee; 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.

On motion of Diane St-Jacques, it was agreed, — That a Subcommittee on Electoral Boundaries Readjustment, composed of Paddy Torsney, Marcel Proulx, Michel Guimond, Yvon Godin and Scott Reid, be established to review the disposition of Members' objections by the federal electoral boundaries commissions and to report its recommendations and observations;

That Paddy Torsney be appointed Chair of the Subcommittee; 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.

Dale Johnston moved, — That, whenever Main Estimates or Supplementary Estimates are tabled in the House and referred to the Committee, the Speaker or the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, as the case may be, and the appropriate senior officials be invited to appear at a televised meeting of the Committee.

Debate arose thereon.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 4; NAYS: 6.

Dale Johnston moved, — That, whenever a chapter of a report of the Auditor General refers to a subject under the mandate of the Committee, officials from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada and the appropriate senior officials of the House or the Office of the Chief Electoral Office of Canada, as the case may be, be invited to appear at a televised meeting of the Committee.

Debate arose thereon.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That the motion be amended by adding after the word “appear” the following: “, whenever possible,”.

After debate, the question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to.

The Committee proceeded to the consideration of a draft report.

On motion of Dale Johnston, it was agreed, — That the draft report be adopted as the Committee's Report to the House and that the Chair present the Report to the House.

The Committee proceeded to the consideration of a draft report.

On motion of Marcel Proulx, it was agreed, — That the draft report be adopted as the Committee's Report to the House and that the Chair present the Report to the House.

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to its mandate under Standing Order 108(3)(a)(iii), the Hon. Jacques Saada be invited to appear before the Committee to answer questions regarding the document entitled “Ethics, Responsibility, Accountability: An Action Plan for Democratic Reform”, which was tabled in the House on Wednesday, February 4, 2004, as Sessional Paper No. 8525-373-03.

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to the Order of Reference adopted Friday, February 5, 2004, concerning the question of privilege raised by Garry Breitkreuz, the Clerk of the House and the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel be invited to appear before the Committee.

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to its mandate under Standing Order 108(3)(a)(i), the Speaker be invited to attend an in camera meeting of the Committee concerning matters relating to parliamentary security.

At 11:43 a.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.