EVIDENCE Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs NUMBER 004 1st SESSION 41st PARLIAMENT Thursday, October 20, 2011 Le jeudi 20 octobre 2011 Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs CANADA [Recorded by Electronic Apparatus] EVIDENCE October 20, 2011 Committee Edited Evidence * Table of Contents * Number 004 (Official Version) Official Report * Table of Contents * Number 004 (Official Version) Témoignages * Table des matières * Numéro 004 (Version officielle) 04 20 10 2011 2011/10/20 11:30:00 House of Commons Comité permanent de la procédure et des affaires de la Chambre Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs PROC Chair Mr. Joe Preston 41 1 PUBLIC PART ONLY -

PARTIE PUBLIQUE SEULEMENT (1130) [ English ] The Chair (Mr. Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC)) : I call the meeting to order. The first part of our meeting will be a small discussion on committee business, but it is in public because the subcommittee on private members' business met in public, so we can certainly discuss their report. Mr. Albrecht, would you like to tell us about your report? Mr. Harold Albrecht (Kitchener—Conestoga, CPC) : Mr. Chair, I don't really have a report. I guess we do in front of us, don't we? The Chair : Yes, you do. It's the second report. Mr.

Harold Albrecht : Thanks for reminding me. I don't need to read it for you, Mr. Chair, but all of the items that came before the committee were deemed votable, with the exception of Bill C-292. That's being reported back to the committee today. My understanding is the rest of the report went to the House on Wednesday. The Chair : Yes, and it was reported to the House. On the second report, the chair has had a discussion with Mr. Lauzon. He has certain timeframes in which to do certain things. He met the first timeframe by talking to the chair today and yesterday about where he is.

I'm not certain he's at a final conclusion yet, whether he will appeal this or whether he will remove it, because it gives him a chance to also submit another private member's bill. He will know by Monday. If, indeed, he will be appealing—if you'll allow me—we'll just take the second half of either Tuesday's meeting or Thursday's meeting, one hour, for that purpose, because it has to happen within a certain period of time. So on Monday we'll notify this committee; if not, Tuesday.

Then we will have our friends and our discussion on Elections Canada recommendations all of Tuesday, and if it's the second half of that Tuesday meeting, well then, we'll only do that for an hour and then go to Mr. Lauzon. Mr. Toone first, please. Mr. Philip Toone (Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, NDP) : I just wanted to ask if Mr. Lauzon has had a chance to look at the minutes of the meeting from the subcommittee. The Chair : It was in public, so I'm certain he could have had a chance to do so. I did not ask him whether he did or did not. I will ask him that question later today. That's a great way to go.

That's a pretty good way for him to look at what the issues are and so on. Thank you. I will share that with him. Mr. Comartin. Mr. Joe Comartin (Windsor—Tecumseh, NDP) : Along the same lines, does he understand what the concerns were of the committee? The Chair : It's my understanding he does, yes. Mr. Joe Comartin : Okay. The Chair : Great. Anything else? So if we're okay, that would be general direction to the chair on how we will go, depending on what Mr. Lauzon does. The second part of our committee is in camera, because we're studying the Elections Canada report.

If that's okay, we will go in camera. [ Proceedings continue in camera ]