LANG Committee Meeting

Meeting No. 1

Tuesday, March 13, 2001

The Standing Joint Committee on Official Languages met at 11:13 a.m. this day, in Room 701, La Promenade Building.

Member(s) of the Committee present:

From the Senate: The Hon. Joan Fraser, The Hon. Rose-Marie Losier-Cool, The Hon. Shirley Maheu, The Hon. Jean-Claude Rivest, The Hon. Raymond C. Setlakwe, The Hon. Jean-Maurice Simard.

From the House of Commons: Mauril Bélanger, Eugène Bellemare, Claude Drouin, Dan McTeague, Scott Reid, Benoît Sauvageau.

Acting Member(s) present : From the House of Commons: Bernard Patry for John Godfrey, Peter Goldring for Rahim Jaffer.

In attendance: From the Senate: Tonu Onu, Co-Clerk of the Committee. From the Committees and Parliamentary Associations Directorate: Guyanne L. Desforges, Co-Clerk of the Committee and Jean-François Pagé, Legislative Clerk. From the Library of Parliament: Françoise Coulombe and Robert Asselin, Research Officers.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(1) and (2), the Co-Clerks presided over the election of the Co-Chairs.

Senator Rose-Marie Losier-Cool moved, -That Senator Shirley Maheu be elected Co-Chair of the Committee.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Accordingly, Senator Shirley Maheu was declared duly elected Co-Chair of the Committee (Senate).

Dan McTeague moved, -That Mauril Bélanger be elected Co-Chair of the Committee.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Accordingly, Mauril Bélanger was declared duly elected Co-Chair of the Committee (House of Commons).

Peter Goldring moved, -That Scott Reid be elected Vice-Chair of the Committee.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Claude Drouin moved, -That Yolande Thibeault be elected Vice-Chair of the Committee.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

On motion of Senator Joan Fraser, it was agreed, -That the Sub-Committee on Agenda and Procedure be composed of seven (7) members including the Co-Chairs, the Vice-Chairs, the Parliamentary Secretary (Canadian Heritage) and two representatives from the opposition.

It was further agreed that the two representatives from the opposition would be Benoît Sauvageau and Senator Jean-Claude Rivest.

On motion of Senator Rose-Marie Losier-Cool, it was agreed, -That the Committee retain the services of one or more Research Officers from the Library of Parliament, as needed, to assist the Committee in its work, at the discretion of the Co-Chairs.

Benoît Sauvageau moved, -That the Co-Clerks be authorized to distribute only documents available in both official languages.

Scott Reid proposed an amendment that with the Committee's unanimous consent, documents which are only available in one language should be allowed to be distributed.

After debate thereon, the question being put on the amendment, it was negatived. The question being put on the main motion, it was agreed to.

On motion of Dan McTeague, it was agreed, -That the Committee print necessary copies of its Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence.

On motion of Dan McTeague, it was agreed, -That the quorum be fixed at seven (7) members provided that both Houses are represented and that one member of the opposition from each House is present whenever a vote, resolution or other decision is taken.

On motion of Senator Joan Fraser, it was agreed, -That the Co-Chairs be authorized to hold meetings, in order to receive evidence and authorize the printing thereof when a quorum is not present provided that four (4) members are present, and that both Houses and one opposition member is present.

On motion of Claude Drouin, it was agreed, -That witnesses be given ten (10) minutes for their opening statements and, that during the questioning of witnesses, there be allocated seven (7) minutes for the first round of questions and answers as follows: the Canadian Alliance, the Liberal Party, the Bloc Quebecois, the Liberal Party, the Progressive Conservative Party, the Liberal Party, the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party. For the second round, five (5) minutes be allocated to a member of each party alternatively. For the third and subsequent rounds, five (5) minutes will be allocated to a member, in the order in which they are recognized, at the discretion of the Co-Chairs.

On motion of Dan McTeague, it was agreed, -That at the discretion of the Co-Chairs, reasonable travelling expenses, as per the regulations established by the Board of Internal Economy of the Senate and the House of Commons, be paid to witnesses invited to appear before the Committee, and that payment of these expenses be limited to two (2) representatives per organization.

On motion of Dan McTeague, it was agreed, -That unless there is unanimous consent 48 hours notice must be given to members before any substantive motion is submitted for the consideration of the Committee.

On motion of Benoît Sauvageau, it was agreed, -That the Committee authorize the Co-Chairs, from time to time, as the need arises, in conjunction with the Co-Clerks of the Committee, to take the appropriate measures to provide lunches for the Committee and its Sub-Committees, for working purposes, and that the cost of these lunches be charged to the budget of the Committee.

Dan McTeague moved, -That one (1) transcript of all in camera meetings be produced and kept in the Committee Co-Clerk’s office for consultation.

Debate arising thereon, Benoît Sauvageau moved, -That the motion be amended by adding at the end of the motion "by members of the Committee".

After debate thereon, the question was put on the amendment, it was agreed to.

The question was put on the main motion, as amended, it was agreed to.

On motion of Benoît Sauvageau, it was agreed, -That the Committee adopt its first report recommending that the quorum be fixed at seven (7) members provided that both Houses are represented and one member of the opposition from each House is present whenever a vote, resolution or other decision is taken and that the Co-Chairs be authorized to hold meetings, in order to receive evidence and authorize printing thereof when a quorum is not present provided that four (4) members are present, and that both Houses and one opposition member is present and that the Co-Chairs be authorized to table it in their respective Chamber.

Senator Joan Fraser moved, -That the Senate Co-Chair report to the Senate the expenditures incurred by the Committee during the last session.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

It was agreed, -To consider the issues of CPAC and Air Canada as priority issues for this Committee's future business. The Committee also agreed to consider the possibility of travelling across Canada to visit minority communities and seek their priorities.

It was agreed, -That the Committee meet on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons at 3:30 p.m..

It was agreed, -That the Sub-Committee on Agenda and Procedure meet on Thursday, March 15, 2001 at 1:00 p.m. to discuss future business.

At 12:00 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Tonu Onu
Co-Clerk of the Committee

Guyanne L. Desforges
Co-Clerk of the Committee

Jean-François Pagé
Legislative Clerk