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MINUTES OF PROCEEDING
Meeting No. 1
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1997
The Standing Joint Committee on Official Languages met at 11:11 o’clock a.m, this day, in room 209, West Block, to elect Joint Chairs , pursuant to Rule 88 of the Senate and Standing Order 106(1) and to of the House of .Commons, for the purpose of organisation.
Members of the Committee present:
Representing the Senate: Rose-Marie Losier-Cool and Louis J. Robichaud.
Other Senators present: Marcel Prud’homme.
Representing the House of Commons: Sarkis Assadourian, Denis Coderre, Sheila Finestone, John Godfrey, Rahim Jaffer, Louis Plamondon and Diane St-Jacques.
Acting Members present: Guy Saint-Julien for Eugène Bellemare, Bob Speller for Claudette Bradshaw, Keith Martin for Cliff Breitkreuz, Dick Proctor for Yvon Godin, Réginald Bélair for Bob Kilger, Jean Augustine for Ted McWhinney, Deepak Obhrai for Val Meredith and Hector Cloutier for Denis Paradis.
In attendance: Tonu Onu, Joint Clerk of the Committee. From the Research Branch of the Library of Parliament: Françoise Coulombe, Research Officer.
The Joint Clerk (Senate) presided over the election of the Joint Chair (Senate).
Louis Robichaud moved, - That Senator Rose-Marie Losier-Cool be elected Joint Chair of the Committee (Senate).
And the question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
The Joint Clerk declared that Senator Rose-Marie Losier-Cool was duly elected Joint Chair of the Committee (Senate).
The Joint Clerk (House of Commons) presided over the election of the Joint Chair (House of Commons)
Bob Speller moved, - That Sheila Finestone be elected Joint Chair of the Committee (House of Commons).
And the question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
The Joint Clerk declared that Sheila Finestone was duly elected Joint Chair of the Committee (House of Commons).
Keith Martin, moved, - That Rahim Jaffer be elected Vice-Chair of the Committee.
And the question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
Hector Cloutier, moved, - That Denis Coderre be elected Vice-Chair of the Committee.
And the question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
Denis Coderre, moved, - That the Sub-Committee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of nine (9) members including the Co-Chairs, the Vice-Chairs, the Parliamentary Secretary (Canadian Heritage) and a representative of the Bloc Québécois, the Progressive Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party .
After debate thereon, the question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
It was agreed, that, the quorum for the Sub-Committee on Agenda and Procedure be five (5) members providing that both Houses and the opposition are represented.
It was agreed, - That the members of the Sub-Committee on Agenda and Procedure be appointed after the usual consultations with the whips of the different parties.
Guy Saint-Julien, moved, - That the Committee retain the services of one or more Researcher Officers from the Library of Parliament, as needed, to assist the Committee in its work, at the discretion of the Chairman.
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
Rahim Jaffer, moved, - That all documents distributed to the members of the Committee be in both official languages.
After debate thereon, by unanimous consent, the motion was withdrawn.
It was agreed, - That documents be distributed in both official languages but, that at the discretion of the Committee, documents be distributed in one language with translation to follow.
Senator Louis Robichaud, moved, - That the Committee print 450 copies of its Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence.
After debate thereon, the question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
Sheila Finestone, moved, - That the quorum be fixed at seven (7) members provided that both Houses are represented whenever a vote, resolution or other decision is taken and that the Joint Chairs be authorized to hold meetings to receive evidence and authorize printing thereof so long as seven (7) members are present, provided that both Houses are represented.
And debate arising thereon,
Denis Coderre, moved, - That the motion be amended as follow – That the quorum be fixed at seven (7) members provided that both Houses and the opposition are represented whenever a vote, resolution or other decision is taken and that the Joint Chairs be authorize to hold meetings to receive evidence and authorize printing thereof so long as four (4) members are present, provided that both Houses and the opposition are represented.
After debate thereon, the question being put on the amendment, it was, agreed to.
And the question being put on the main motion, as amended, it was agreed to.
Keith Martin, moved, - That during the questioning of witnesses, there be allocated 10 minutes for the first questioner (of each party) and that thereafter 5 minutes be allocated to each subsequent questioner.
After debate thereon, by unanimous consent, the motion was withdrawn.
It was agreed, - That for a trial period, during the questioning of witnesses, 7 minutes be allocated for the first round to the Reform Party, the Bloc Québécois, the Liberal Party, the Progressive Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party and that, for the second round, 5 minutes be allocated alternately between an opposition party and the government, starting with the Official Opposition.
John Godfrey, moved, - That at the discretion of the Chairman, reasonable travelling expenses, as per the regulations established by the Board of Internal Economy, be paid to witnesses invited to appear before the Committee, and that payment of these expenses be limited to two (2) representatives per organization.
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
Sarkis Assadourian, moved, - That unless there is unanimous consent a 48 hour notice must be given to members before any new question is submitted to the consideration of the Committee.
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
It was agreed - That the Joint Chair (Senate) be authorized to obtain Senate permission for this Committee to sit during Senate sitting.
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
Denis Coderre, moved, - That the Committee adopt its first report and that the Joint Chairs be authorized to table it in their respective Chamber.
The question being put on the motion, it was agreed to.
At 12:20 o’clock p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.
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