[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]
Tuesday, September 26, 1995
.1010 
[English]
The Joint Clerk of the Committee (Mr. Etoka): Hon. senators, hon. members, I see a quorum. In conformity with Standing Orders 106.(1) and 106.(2), your first item of business is to elect a joint chairperson. I'm ready to receive motions to that effect.
Mr. Mayfield (Cariboo - Chilcotin): For the senatorial or the House chair?
The Joint Clerk (Mr. Etoka): For the House joint chair.
Mr. Mayfield: Which of the two co-chairs is being elected first?
The Joint Clerk (Mr. Etoka): The House.
Mr. Mayfield: I nominate Dan McTeague.
Mr. McTeague (Ontario): [Inaudible - Editor]
Mr. Gallaway (Sarnia - Lambton): I nominate Mr. John Richardson.
The Joint Clerk (Mr. Etoka): It has been moved by Mr. Gallaway that Mr. Richardson do take the chair of this committee.
Senator Cools (Toronto Centre): Good for you.
The Joint Clerk (Mr. Etoka): Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
Mr. Mayfield: I call for a recorded vote, please.
Senator Cools: Don't take it too seriously.
Mr. Mayfield: Being deaf, I have difficulty.
Motion agreed to: yeas 6, nays 1
The Joint Clerk (Mr. Etoka): I declare Mr. Richardson elected and invite him to take the chair.
The Joint Chairman (Mr. Richardson): Thank you very much for the honour, first of all.
[Translation]
I am very pleased by this appointment.
[English]
Senator Cools: Our voice. Our fearless leader.
The Joint Chairman (Mr. Richardson): Now there is the joint vice-chair.
[Translation]
Mr. Adams (Peterborough): I nominate Mrs. Debien as joint vice-chair.
[English]
Mr. Steckle (Huron - Bruce): I second that.
The Joint Chairman (Mr. Richardson): Any other nominations? No.
Motion agreed to
.1015
The Joint Chairman (Mr. Richardson): Congratulations, Madam Debien.
Mrs. Debien (Laval East): Thank you.
The Joint Chairman (Mr. Richardson): This might be one of the shortest meetings we'll have, because the only item on the agenda was to elect the chairperson.
I thank you very much for coming.
Mr. Mayfield: Mr. Chairman, there is a point that I'd like to raise as a point of order. It is that Beauchesne's Parliamentary Rules and Forms, Sixth Edition, page 227, section 787, says:
- In joint committees, the clerk of the committee conducts the election, first of a Joint Chairman
from the Senate, and then of a Joint Chairman from the House of Commons. In both instances
all members of the committee, regardless of their House, may vote on each motion.
Senator Cools: Thanks for defending the Senate. The joint chairman is supposed to be a senator.
Mr. Mayfield: The joint chairman is to be a senator.
Senator Cools: It would be the same one. So the whole committee is not resigned. It makes sense. The previous joint chairman just continues, so the only change is the joint chairman ofthe House.
The Joint Chairman (Mr. Richardson): Senator Riel continues as joint chairman.
Senator Cools: Do you understand? Did I make that clear? The joint chairman from the Senate is an incumbent. His position is extant. He has not resigned.
Mr. Mayfield: There's not a new election for that, then?
Senator Cools: There's not a new election for that post. I had thought there would be a new election; I don't know why.
An hon. member: In the House there is a shuffling of the chairs on the deck of the Titanic.
Mr. Mayfield: It was my understanding that there's a new election when the committeeis restruck.
Senator Cools: It is, but only for the House of Commons positions. The Senate positions remain unchanged.
The Joint Chairman (Mr. Richardson): Mr. Mayfield, in the submission here it shows Senator Maurice Riel as the joint chairman.
Mr. Adams: [Inaudible - Editor]
The Joint Chairman (Mr. Richardson): Mr. Richard Doyle.
The meeting stands adjourned.