EVIDENCE Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs NUMBER 001 2nd SESSION 41st PARLIAMENT Thursday, October 24, 2013 Le jeudi octobre Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs CANADA [Recorded by Electronic Apparatus] EVIDENCE October 24, 2013 Committee Edited Evidence * Table of Contents * Number 001 (Official Version) Official Report * Table of Contents * Number 001 (Official Version) Témoignages * Table des matières * Numéro 001 (Version officielle) 01 24 10 2013 2013/10/24 11:35:00 House of Commons Comité permanent des anciens combattants Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs ACVA 41 2 (1135) [ English ] The Clerk of the Committee (Mr.

Georges Etoka) : Good morning, honourable members. I see a quorum. I'll mention for members that the clerk of the committee can only receive motions for the election of the chair. The clerk cannot receive other types of motions and cannot entertain points of order nor participate in debate. We can now proceed to the election of the chair. Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the government party. I'm ready to receive motions for the chair. Mr. Stoffer. Mr. Peter Stoffer (Sackville—Eastern Shore, NDP) : I'd like to nominate Monsieur Royal Galipeau, please.

The Clerk : Are there any other motions? Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion? Hon. Jim Karygiannis (Scarborough—Agincourt, Lib.) : I'd like to nominate Laurie Hawn, please. The Clerk : I have two motions, with Mr. Stoffer nominating Mr. Galipeau and Mr. Karygiannis nominating Mr. Hawn. We're going to start with the first motion. On Monsieur Galipeau for chair, who is in favour? Mr. Peter Stoffer : Don't you ask them first if they want to accept the nomination if there are two? The Clerk : No. Who's in favour of Mr. Galipeau as the chair?

Opposed? (Motion agreed to) The Clerk: I declare Monsieur Galipeau elected. Some hon. members: Hear, hear! The Clerk: Before inviting Mr. Galipeau to take the chair, and if the committee wishes, we will now proceed to the election of the vice-chairs. Mr. Gill. Mr. Parm Gill (Brampton—Springdale, CPC) : Can I nominate Mr. Stoffer for the vice-chair? The Clerk : It has been moved by Mr. Gill that Mr. Peter Stoffer be elected first vice-chair of the committee. Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion? All in favour? Against? (Motion agreed to) The Clerk: I declare the motion carried and Mr.

Stoffer elected first vice-chair of the committee. I'll now proceed to the election of the second vice-chair of the committee. Mr. Galipeau. Mr. Royal Galipeau (Ottawa—Orléans, CPC) : I propose the name of the Honourable Jim Karygiannis. The Clerk : It has been proposed by Mr. Galipeau that Mr. Karygiannis be elected second vice-chair of the committee. Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion? (Motion agreed to) The Clerk: I declare the motion carried and Mr. Karygiannis elected second vice-chair of the committee. Some hon. members: Hear, hear! The Clerk: I'll now invite Mr.

Galipeau to take the chair. The Chair (Mr. Royal Galipeau (Ottawa—Orléans, CPC)) : I'd like to thank you, and I'd like to ask you to humour me for a minute. I haven't prepared remarks, but I have some remarks. We all know about false pride, but we seldom hear about false humility. Let me tell you that it is with a sense of real humility that I accept the confidence you gave me today. I thank you very much, Mr. Stoffer and the rest of the members of this committee.

I'm fully aware that I sit here at my first meeting of this committee and that there are a lot of other people here who have more merit than I do, both at this committee and in the House. I will take this responsibility very seriously. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think that even the reason for our sitting here in this House comes more from the merits of the veterans who fought for our democracy, human rights and rule of law than we did.... The democracy that we defend was earned before it was earned by us—it was earned by veterans—and I think of it every day.

It's not because I'm sitting here now that I'll stop thinking about it. Thank you very, very much. I hope to work very well with you in working hard. I understand that next Tuesday we're going to deal with the regular motions, the routine motions, and that with next Thursday being on a Friday schedule, we will not meet. That's all I have to say. I thank you again. Merci beaucoup. Some hon. members: Hear, hear! The Chair: Is there a motion to adjourn?

(1140) Mr. Peter Stoffer : One thing this committee does, which I don't know if other committees do but which but we started in those six, was that when a previous minister or parliamentary secretary or a critic from a party moves on to another area, this committee always sends a letter to them thanking them for their service to the veterans. I think the committee may agree that we send a letter to Mr. Blaney, to Ms. Adams, and Mr. Casey thanking them for their service to the veteran community while they were on the committee. We've always done that in the past. The Chair : And the last Chair...? Mr.

Peter Stoffer : Yes. The Chair would write it. Yes, and to Mr. Greg Kerr as well. Thank you. The Chair : I think that is a very good habit of good manners, and it also sets the tone for all the good manners that will continue at this table. Mr. Peter Stoffer : And that usually comes from you on behalf of the committee, just thanking them. The Chair : Thank you very much, Mr. Stoffer. Go ahead Mr. Karygiannis. Hon. Jim Karygiannis : Thank you and congratulations, Chair. I certainly would like to echo what Mr. Stoffer said that we send letters to the people who served on our committee.

I want to congratulate you on being the Chair. If I may, and you can certainly shut me up if you want, but we do have some vets in the room and some with service animals too, and I want us to recognize that they are here with us with their service dogs and that they helped make what this country's all about. I want to thank them for their service to our country and to having this called a democracy that we have all strived for. I want to thank them for coming. There are four vets in the room. There could be some more. I want to certainly point out the vets that have their service dogs with them.

Some hon. members: Hear, hear! The Chair : Is that it? See you on Tuesday. The meeting is adjourned.