PRHA Committee Meeting

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Meeting No. 12

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1998

The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs met at 11:21 a.m., this day, in Room 112-N (Centre Block), Peter Adams (Chair) presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Peter Adams, Stéphane Bergeron, Marlene Catterall, Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Ken Epp, Mac Harb, André Harvey, Bob Kilger, Rey Pagtakhan, Carolyn Parrish, John Richardson and John Solomon.

In attendance: From the Parliamentary Research Branch of the Library of Parliament: James Robertson, Research Officer. From the House of Commons: Camille Montpetit, Clerk Assistant (Procedural Services).

Witness: From the House of Commons: Robert Marleau, Clerk of the House.

The Committee resumed consideration of proposed rules for the conduct of joint committees. (See Minutes of Proceedings and the Evidence for Tuesday, December 9, 1997, meeting no. 11.)

The Committee proceeded to the consideration of draft amendments to the Standing Orders on joint committees.

The witness made an opening statement and answered questions.

After debate, on motion of Stéphane Bergeron, it was agreed, - That, proposed Standing Order A4. (1) which reads as follows:

"A4. (1) Standing Joint Committees shall be severally empowered to examine and enquire into all such matters as may be referred to them, to report from time to time and to print an appendix to any report, after the signatures of the Chairmen, containing such opinions or recommendations, dissenting from the report or supplementary to it, as may be proposed by the committee members, provided that, in the opinion of the Joint Chairmen, it is both brief and relevant to the report, and, except when either House otherwise orders, to send for persons, papers and records, to sit while either House is sitting, to sit during periods when either House stand adjourned, to sit jointly with other committees if the House and the Senate, to print from day to day such papers and evidence as may be ordered by them, and to delegate to sub-committees all or any of their powers except the powers to report directly to the Senate and House of Commons."

be amended by deleting, after the words "by the committee members", the following:

", provided that, in the opinion of the Joint Chairmen, it is both brief and relevant to the report,".

On motion of Marlene Catterall, it was agreed, - That, the proposed Standing Orders be amended by replacing, throughout the text, in the English version, the words "Chairman, Chairmen, vice-chairmen" by "Chairs" and "vice-chairs"; and, in the French version, replacing, where possible, the words "président" and "vice-président" by "présidence" and "vice-présidence".

After debate, on motion of Mac Harb, it was agreed,- That, the draft report, as amended, on proposed Standing Orders for Joint Committees, be adopted as the Committee’s Twenty-Second Report to the House and that the Chair present the report to the House.

On motion of Marlene Catterall, it was agreed, - That, the Chair be authorized to pay for a reception in honour of a delegation of parliamentarians from the United Kingdom to be held on Monday, February 23, 1998, in accordance with the hospitality policy of the House of Commons, from the Committee’s approved budget for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1998.

At 12:46 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

In accordance with the mandate of the Committee concerning its responsibilities as the Striking Committee and in accordance with an Order adopted on Monday, September 29, 1997, the Eighteenth Report is deemed to have been adopted and the Chair is ordered to present it to the House.

In accordance with the mandate of the Committee concerning its responsibilities as the Striking Committee and in accordance with an Order adopted on Monday, September 29, 1997, the Nineteenth Report is deemed to have been adopted and the Chair is ordered to present it to the House.

In accordance with the mandate of the Committee concerning its responsibilities as the Striking Committee and in accordance with an Order adopted on Monday, September 29, 1997, the Twentieth Report is deemed to have been adopted and the Chair is ordered to present it to the House.

In accordance with the mandate of the Committee concerning its responsibilities as the Striking Committee and in accordance with an Order adopted on Monday, September 29, 1997, the Twenty-First Report is deemed to have been adopted and the Chair is ordered to present it to the House.

Marie Carrière

Clerk of the Striking Committee