HRPD Committee Meeting

STANDING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT AND THE STATUS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

COMITÉ PERMANENT DU DÉVELOPPEMENT DES RESSOURCES HUMAINES ET DE LA CONDITION DES PERSONNES HANDICAPÉES

EVIDENCE

[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]

Wednesday, October 7, 1998

• 1536

[Translation]

The Clerk of the Committee: We can begin the hearing now.

[English]

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(1), your first order of business is to elect a chair. I'm ready to receive motions to that effect.

[Translation]

Mr. Coderre.

Mr. Denis Coderre (Bourassa, Lib.): I move that Ms. Albina Guarnieri be elected chairperson of the committee.

The Clerk: Mr. Denis Coderre moves that Ms. Albina Guarnieri become the chairperson of this committee.

[English]

(Motion agreed to)

The Clerk: I declare Ms. Guarnieri duly elected chair of this committee and invite her to take the chair.

Some hon. members: Hear, hear.

The Chair (Ms. Albina Guarnieri (Mississauga East, Lib.)): As the first order of business, I was going to circulate a hundred-page speech for your perusal by way of thanks, but I think I'll forgo that honour.

I'd like to thank you all for putting your faith in me. I hope there will be a surplus of confidence at the end of the session as big as the EI fund. But I know one thing there isn't a surplus of is patience. You will find that I am short on speeches, short on briefings, and hopefully we will be heavy on substance on key issues that matter to Canadians.

[Translation]

We note the excellence of the members of the committee around this table. We will surely work very hard and show team spirit. I look forward to getting down to work with you.

[English]

Without further ado, I thank you all, and we'll get on to the order of the day.

The first order of the day is to elect vice-chairs. We elect two vice-chairs, one on the opposition side and one on the government side. We will deal with the one on the opposition side first. Do I have a motion?

Mrs. Diane Ablonczy (Calgary—Nose Hill, Ref.): Madam Chairman, I'd like to elect Dale Johnston for vice-chair.

(Motion agreed to)

The Chair: It's unanimous. We declare Dale Johnston vice-chair.

Congratulations. I look forward to working together.

Mr. Dale Johnston (Wetaskiwin, Ref.): It was a close fight.

The Chair: These things are always very tough.

The second order of business is to elect a vice-chair on the government side. Do I have a motion?

Mrs. Brenda Chamberlain (Guelph—Wellington, Lib.): I would like to nominate Bryon Wilfert. He's been a really, really good member on this committee. I'd be honoured to nominate him.

(Motion agreed to)

The Chair: Is it unanimous?

An hon. member: Yes.

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The Chair: Congratulations.

The next order is...

The Clerk: That is it.

The Chair: We're not going to do motions and procedures?

The Clerk: No, they've been done.

Mrs. Diane Ablonczy: Madam Chairman, if I might, I do have a routine motion that I would like to introduce for the committee's consideration. I have a copy here for the clerk.

My motion reads as follows:

That the committee agrees when a private member's bill

—it probably should say “or motion”—

is referred to the committee to put the bill on its agenda at the earliest possible time in order to invite the member to explain the bill to the committee and for the committee to decide on its work plan.

I think this would facilitate the dealing with private members' bills, if the committee feels that's an appropriate procedure to put into place.

The Chair: Is it the will of the committee? Is there any debate? Any discussion?

Mr. Maurice Vellacott (Wanuskewin, Ref.): Maybe we should formally put that in, the matter of a motion too—although not always coming from the committee.

The Chair: Was this not a motion you're putting forth?

Mr. Maurice Vellacott: No, but private member's bill or motion is referred to. All motions would not necessarily be referred, but some are.

The Chair: Good point.

Is it the will of the committee to accept this motion or to defer it until our next meeting?

Ms. Bonnie Brown (Oakville, Lib.): On a point of order, Madam Chair, I'm not sure that a motion can be introduced right away.

The Chair: Only if it's the will of the committee. If it's not we will defer it.

Ms. Bonnie Brown: Otherwise it's a notice of motion.

The Chair: Yes. Exactly.

An hon. member: Next meeting.

The Chair: Okay. So we'll do a translation and circulate it to the members.

We're ready to work. Thank you all. All the orders and routine motions apparently were adopted.

[Translation]

Mr. Paul Crête (Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, BQ): Will a steering committee meeting be held in the near future?

[English]

The Chair: Steering committee. Maybe we should arrange to do that now.

[Translation]

Mr. Paul Crête: If we knew when it was going to be held we could write it down in our agenda.

The Chair: Yes, you're right.

[English]

Is it the will of the committee to adopt a steering committee now? I'm ready to strike up a steering committee now. It's one member from each opposition—a vice-chair, a parliamentary secretary. So it's already struck. But we will meet and then come back with an agenda before the committee.

Mr. Paul Crête: Okay.

[Translation]

I simply wanted to know whether we could, at this time, determine when the steering committee will meet.

The Chair: What date would you like to propose?

Mr. Paul Crête: As soon as we return.

The Chair: Yes.

Mr. Paul Crête: Perhaps Tuesday, an hour before the meeting of the regular committee.

The Chair: Yes, that's fine.

The Clerk: Our committee usually meets at 11 o'clock. We should, however, make sure that the room is available.

[English]

So it would almost have to be at 11, because somebody else would have...

[Translation]

The Chair: Perhaps the meeting could be held on Tuesday rather than Wednesday?

Mr. Paul Crête: Yes.

The Chair: Before we adjourn, do we agree to study the possibility of meeting on Tuesday or Wednesday? Several members are sitting on two committees.

Mr. Paul Crête: Yes.

The Chairman: Yes, we agree. Thank you.

(The meeting stands adjourned).