[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]
Tuesday, September 19, 1995
.0909 
[English]
The Clerk of the Committee: Hon. members, we have a quorum. Our first order of business is the election of a chairman. I am open to nominations to that effect.
Mr. Wells.
Mr. Wells (South Shore): I nominate Ron MacDonald.
Mrs. Payne (St. John's West): I second the nomination.
The Clerk: It is moved by Mr. Wells and seconded by Mrs. Payne that Ron MacDonald be elected chair of the committee.
Motion agreed to
The Clerk: I invite Mr. MacDonald to take the chair.
The Chairman: First of all, some members of the committee are new. I want to welcome them to the committee.
I think you will find from the members here from the last time that this committee has worked pretty well together. We have sometimes been controversial. Certainly I have tried to act in not too partisan a manner, because the issues at hand are quite important ones. Sometimes we didn't know which side at the table was the opposition, and that's healthy for the whole committee process.
.0910
We have a lot of business on hand, so hopefully we will be able to proceed as expeditiously and carefully as possible with some of these issues.
[Translation]
Mr. Canuel (Matapédia - Matane): Can we present a motion now regarding the election of a vice-chair?
[English]
The Chairman: Yes.
[Translation]
Mr. Canuel: I move that Yvan Bernier be elected vice-chair of this committee.
[English]
The Chairman: Mr. Bernier has been moved as vice-chair of the committee. Are there any other nominations?
Mr. White (Fraser Valley West): I move that Mr. Scott be vice-chairman.
The Chairman: We shall proceed with the first one, Mr. Bernier, first.
Mr. Wells: I have a question of clarification.
There are two vice-chairs? Is that the way it would be?
The Chairman: There are two vice-chairs.
Mr. Wells: We are now electing the one from the opposition side?
The Chairman: From the opposition, yes.
Mr. Wells: And we'll have an opportunity to elect one from the government side later?
The Chairman: That's right.
Mr. Wells: Should that nomination not be made now?
The Chairman: No. We'll make it after we deal with the opposition vice-chair.
The names of two people have been placed in nomination for the position of vice-chair from the opposition. We will deal first with Mr. Bernier, whose name has been placed.
Mr. White: Is it the rule of this committee that you deal with these motions one at a time? In other words, do you deal with both nominations at once, or do you deal with them one at a time?
The Chairman: The clerk tells me that we do the first one first, and if it's accepted, then there is no requirement to go to the second vote.
[Translation]
Mr. Canuel: It seems to me that according to parliamentary tradition, the vice-chair is chosen among members from the official opposition. Does not the vice-chair position rightfully belong to a member from the official opposition, according to parliamentary tradition?
[English]
The Chairman: Because it is all put to a vote at the organizational meeting, normally the official opposition critic would be the vice-chair. However, in past Parliaments we've had some strange things happen when other people have assumed those positions. It's up to the members of the committee.
Mr. White: I don't believe it is without precedent for vice-chairmen to be elected from among members other than those in the official opposition. In this case, where there are 53 and 52 members of the opposing parties, that should be considered, and also the experience of the individuals.
The Chairman: In any democracy, when people go into nomination, these things are put to a vote of those who are eligible to vote, and that's how the vice-chairman would be selected.
Standing Order 106 states:
- Each standing or special committee shall elect a Chairman and two Vice-Chairmen, of whom
two shall be Members of the government party and the third a Member in opposition to the
government, in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order 116, at the commencement of
every session and, if necessary, during the course of the session.
The Chairman: Yes. There is no reference to the word ``official'' in there.
Mr. White: That's right.
The Chairman: It says ``in opposition''.
So we can get through this procedurally, the clerk informs me that we will vote on the first name in nomination. If it's affirmed, then that would negative the necessity of a vote on the second nomination.
Mr. Scott (Skeena): There are precedents for elections to be carried out, I believe, and I refer you to Beauchesne's paragraph 760(3):
- Committees are and must remain masters of their own procedure.
- So the committee itself can determine how to proceed from this point.
.0915
There are two ways we can proceed. One is to follow the advice of the clerk, which I think is good advice, that we can vote on the first nomination. If it's affirmed, then the necessity of a vote on the second nomination is negatived. Or we can put two names forward, if it's the wish of the committee, and we can have a vote on those two names, and whoever has more than the other would be the individual affirmed as the vice-chair from the opposition.
Mr. White.
Mr. White: Mr. Chairman, I move for a vote.
The Chairman: All in favour of having a vote....
All in favour of Mr. Bernier as a vice-chair, please raise your hands.
All those in favour of Mr. Scott being vice-chair, please raise your hands.
Mr. Bernier, you are affirmed as the vice-chair. Congratulations.
Now we have nominations for the vice-chair from the government side.
Mr. McGuire (Egmont): I nominate Jean Payne.
The Chairman: Are there any other nominations?
Congratulations, Mrs. Payne. You are again vice-chair.
[Proceedings continue in camera]