PACC Committee Meeting
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STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
COMITÉ PERMANENT DES COMPTES PUBLICS
EVIDENCE
[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]
Monday, October 6, 1997
• 1530
[English]
The Clerk of the Committee: It's 3.30 p.m. The public accounts committee always starts on time. I'm glad to welcome everybody back, and welcome to the new members.
I'm Bernard Fournier, the clerk of the committee. I was the clerk during the last Parliament. You have all received a notice for this meeting.
Your first item of business is to elect a chair of the committee. I am now ready to receive motions to that effect.
Mr. Derrek Konrad (Prince Albert, Ref.): I move the nomination of John Williams as chair of this committee.
Mr. Lynn Myers (Waterloo—Wellington, Lib.): For the vice-chair I move Andrew Telegdi.
The Clerk: As I indicated on the agenda for today, you'll see that the only thing a clerk of a committee can do in an organization meeting is to receive a motion for the chair. If there are no more motions or there is no debate on that motion, I will put the motion to the committee. Once you have elected a chair the chair will preside for the remainder of the meeting.
Are there no more nominations?
As moved by Mr. Konrad, the motion is that John Williams do take the chair of this committee as chairman.
(Motion agreed to)
The Clerk: I declare the motion carried unanimously and I invite Mr. Williams to take the chair.
The Chairman (Mr. John Williams (St. Albert, Ref.)): Thank you, ladies and gentleman. I certainly look forward to four or perhaps even five years. I think the prime minister told me five more years of good and responsible public accounts. I'm sure we'll get lots achieved.
As we move on to the election of the vice-chairs, the Reform Party has always liked to have secret ballots. I was wondering if there was any desire by the committee to have a secret ballot as we go into the election of vice-chairs and so on.
Some hon. members: No.
The Chairman: Okay. We'll move into the election of vice-chairs.
Standing Order 106(2) states that each standing or special committee shall elect a chairman and two vice-chairmen, of whom two shall be members of the government party.
We are now ready to take motions for vice-chairmen of the public accounts committee. Mr. Myers.
Mr. Lynn Myers: Mr. Chairman, I move the name of Andrew Telegdi for vice-chairman.
(Motion agreed to)
The Chairman: Is there any motion for the election of the additional vice-chairman position? Mr. Pagtakhan.
Mr. Rey D. Pagtakhan (Winnipeg North—St. Paul, Lib.): Mr. Chairman, I nominate Mr. Ivan Grose.
(Motion agreed to)
The Chairman: That I think is the business for today. The committee will stand adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow in Room 267 in Centre Block for the release of the Auditor General's report. We normally have an in camera meeting at that time. I look forward to seeing you all there. I think we will have a subsequent meeting at 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday to appoint a steering committee and to examine and pass on the routine motions that all committees approve at the beginning of the session. Is there a question?
Mr. Steve Mahoney (Mississauga West, Lib.): Is this an official meeting of the public accounts committee tomorrow morning, or is it some kind of a briefing?
• 1535
The Chairman: It's a briefing by the Auditor General, but it's run as a kind of formal meeting in the lock-up. There are no actual minutes taken and so on, but it is a meeting.
Mr. Steve Mahoney: So how long are we locked up?
The Chairman: The lock-up starts at 9.30. Members of Parliament can come and go as they please. Staff members, once they're in, have to stay in until two o'clock, until the report is tabled in the House of Commons. The meeting starts at 11 o'clock and lasts one hour, until 12.
Mr. Steve Mahoney: We can get in after 9.30?
The Chairman: You can get in after 9.30.
Mr. Steve Mahoney: Thanks very much.
Mr. Lynn Myers: Mr. Chairman, what was that room number again?
The Chairman: Room 269 in the Centre Block. If you go down the hallway towards the library, it's the one on your left.
A voice: It's 237-C.
The Chairman: My apologies, it's 237-C. If you go down toward the library, it's the one on the left. There will be a sign outside of the door saying “Auditor General's Report, Public Accounts Committee”.
Are there any more questions?
Ms. Bev Desjarlais (Churchill, NDP): I just want to double-check the room number.
The Chairman: The room number is 237-C. My apologies.
The meeting stands adjourned to the call of the chair.