ACVA Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs met at 3:30 p.m. this day, in Room 371, West Block, the Chair, Rob Anders, presiding.

Betty Hinton moved, — That for the meetings on Tuesday, May 30, 2006, and Thursday, June 1, 2006, witnesses be given, at the discretion of the Chair, ten (10) minutes to make their opening statement; That during the questioning of witnesses the time allocated to each questioner be as follows: On the first round of questioning, seven (7) minutes to a representative of each party in the following order: Liberals, Bloc Québécois, NDP and Conservatives. On the following rounds of questioning, five (5) minutes per party beginning with the Liberals, the Conservatives, the Bloc Québécois, the Conservatives, the Liberals, the Conservatives and the Liberals, and in a third round the order would be the same as in the second round with the NDP being able to ask questions at the end of the round; and that when a Minister is in attendance in the first round of questioning ten (10) minutes be allocated to each of the opposition parties and ten (10) minutes to the Conservative party, and in a second round five (5) minutes to each party in the following order; Liberal, Conservative, Bloc Québécois, Conservative, Liberal, Conservative and Liberal, and in a third round the order would be the same as in the second round with the NDP being able to ask questions at the end of the round.

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

On motion of Betty Hinton, it was agreed, — That whenever the Main Estimates or the Supplementary Estimates are tabled in the House, the Committee invite the Minister and any relevant Senior Officials of a Department to appear at a meeting of the Committee, which is televised if possible.

On motion of Betty Hinton, it was agreed, — That whenever a Chapter of a Report of the Auditor General refers to a subject under the mandate of the Committee, the Committee invite the Office of the Auditor General of Canada and any relevant Senior Officials of a Department to appear at a meeting of the Committee, which is televised if possible.

It was agreed, — That the Committee consider matters related to the Veterans Bill of Rights, the Veterans Ombudsman and the Veterans Independence Progamme.

At 4:18 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.