Standing Committee on the Status of Women Monday, February 3, 2014 FEWO

Standing Committee on the Status of Women
FEWO
●
NUMBER 009
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2nd SESSION
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EVIDENCE
Monday, February 3, 2014
41st PARLIAMENT
1
Standing Committee on the Status of Women
Monday, February 3, 2014
● (1530)
[Translation]
[Translation]
Mrs. Djaouida Sellah (Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, NDP): I
nominate Ms. O'Neill Gordon as vice-chair.
The Clerk of the Committee (Mrs. Julie Geoffrion): Honourable members of the committee, I see we have quorum.
I must inform the members of the committee that the clerk of the
committee may only receive motions pertaining to the election of the
chair. The clerk may not receive any other motions, may not hear
points of order, nor participate in debate. We may now proceed to the
election of the chair.
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of
the official opposition. I am now ready to receive motions for the
position of chairman.
[English]
Mrs. Susan Truppe (London North Centre, CPC): Madam
Clerk, is that new? The chair is normally not from the government
party on this committee.
The Clerk: No, I said official opposition.
I'm ready to receive motions for the chair.
Mrs. Tilly O'Neill Gordon (Miramichi, CPC): I nominate
Hélène LeBlanc.
[Translation]
The Clerk: It has been moved by Ms. O'Neill Gordon that
Ms. LeBlanc be elected chair of the committee.
Are there any other motions?
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
[English]
The Clerk: It has been moved by Ms. Sellah that Ms. O'Neill
Gordon be elected as first vice-chair of the committee. Are there any
further motions?
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
The Clerk: I declare the motion carried and Ms. O'Neill Gordon
duly elected first vice-chair of the committee.
Pursuant to standing order 106(2) the second vice-chair must be a
member of an opposition party other than the official opposition. I
am now prepared to receive a motion for the second vice-chair.
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Thank you, Madam Clerk.
I'm assuming that Kirsty is still on our committee so I would like
to nominate Kirsty Duncan as the second vice-chair.
The Clerk: It has been moved by Ms. Truppe that Ms. Duncan be
elected as second vice-chair of the committee. Is it the pleasure of
the committee to adopt the motion?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
The Clerk: I declare the motion carried and Ms. Duncan duly
elected second vice-chair of the committee in absentia.
[Translation]
I now invite Ms. LeBlanc to take the chair.
Some hon. members: Agreed.
● (1535)
(Motion agreed to)
The Chair (Ms. Hélène LeBlanc (LaSalle—Émard, NDP)):
Good afternoon everyone. I'd like to congratulate the first vice-chair,
Ms. O'Neill Gordon, again, as well as the second vice-chair,
Ms. Duncan.
The Clerk: I declare the motion carried, and Ms. Hélène LeBlanc
duly elected chair of the committee.
[English]
Before inviting Ms. LeBlanc to take the chair, if the committee
wishes, we will now proceed to the election of the vice-chairs.
Pursuant to standing 106(2) the first vice-chair must be a member
of the government party. I am now prepared to receive motions for
the first vice-chair.
Madame Sellah.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy New
Year as well as a Happy Chinese New Year. This is the Year of the
Horse. I'm sure that in 2014, the committee will continue the good
work it began in 2013. I am sure that we are going to do good work
together. And without further ado, we can continue our meeting.
If you are in agreement, during this meeting we could discuss the
business of the committee so that next Wednesday we can resume
our study on eating disorders.
2
FEWO-09
As you know, the report on sexual harassment could not be tabled
last December. I would like to inform you that this will be done
according to procedure.
[English]
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Sorry I think I was going to do that on my
list, Madam Chair. Last time we made a motion to bring back the
report so that you could table it.
Madam Clerk, does it require a motion again?
The Clerk: We don't need a motion.
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Okay, great. I know you were going to table
it on the day the House rose, so we're in agreement to bring that
back, if that's your question.
[Translation]
The Chair: Thank you. That will be done when the reports are
tabled in the next few days, probably tomorrow. I will try to be here.
It will depend on my availability.
I will also ask the clerk to distribute the budget for our study on
eating disorders among girls and women. These funds will come
from our committee's operating budget. We can have a look at it and
discuss it if necessary.
[English]
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Madam Chair, just while that's being passed
around, maybe the clerk could enlighten us and let us know if there
are some witnesses booked. If you're out of witnesses to call, then
we need to send five more from each, perhaps. It's just on where we
stand with the witnesses.
[Translation]
The Clerk: We currently have a list of 15 potential witnesses.
Each party has provided five suggestions. The committee has only
heard one witness, Dr. Woodside. We have enough witnesses for the
next meetings. Wednesday, witnesses will be appearing before the
committee.
[English]
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Okay, you have lots. Perfect.
[Translation]
The Chair: Are there any questions or comments on the proposed
budget?
Mr. Young, you have the floor.
[English]
Mr. Terence Young (Oakville, CPC): I'm sorry, Chair, I was just
thinking of the previous comment made by the clerk. I wonder if we
can find out who you have booked for the upcoming meetings.
The Clerk: For Wednesday—
Mr. Terence Young: Who is already arranged to come, whether
it's Wednesday or for next week?
The Clerk: Technically, I was not able to send formal invitations
because we didn't have a chair, so I didn't have instructions to invite
people. But informally, I have contacted witnesses only for
Wednesday.
Would you like to know who was invited?
February 3, 2014
● (1540)
Mr. Terence Young: Yes, I would.
The Clerk: The National Eating Disorder Information Centre, the
Canadian Foundation for Women's Health, Dr. April Elliott, and the
Mental Health Commission of Canada are the four witnesses that
were contacted for Wednesday. I'm waiting to hear from them to
confirm if they will be able to attend. We should be able to have
three or four witnesses for Wednesday.
Mr. Terence Young: I'm sorry, the second was the Canadian
Foundation for Women....
The Clerk: The second one was the Canadian Foundation for
Women's Health.
[Translation]
The Chair: We have to understand that those four witnesses have
not quite confirmed that they will be here, but there is a good
likelihood that we will be able to hear four witnesses Wednesday.
Briefing notes prepared by the researchers will also be distributed. I
am talking about the general briefing notes. At a certain point, we
did not have a chair, as you will recall. However, everything was
done and we will be able to resume our study on Wednesday.
Ms. Sellah, you have the floor.
Mrs. Djaouida Sellah: Madam Chair, when will those notes be
sent? We are talking about the parliamentary briefing notes...
The Chair: The notes prepared by the researchers.
Mrs. Djaouida Sellah: The notes prepared by the researchers and
that relate to the witnesses who are to appear before us, correct?
Ms. Laura Munn-Rivard (Committee Researcher): They are
sent to you 24 hours before the meeting.
Mrs. Djaouida Sellah: You send them 24 hours...
Ms. Laura Munn-Rivard: Yes, we send them 24 hours before
the meeting.
Mrs. Djaouida Sellah: You give us time to read them and to
prepare accordingly.
The Chair: Yes, we proceed as usual.
Ms. Truppe, you have the floor.
[English]
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Thank you.
I just want to ask the clerk whether we are giving them until a
certain time. Today is Monday, so would we give them until noon
tomorrow, and then if we don't hear back we can maybe quickly
email some others to ask if they are available by video conference?
It's very short notice, then, to try to replace them, but we don't want
to waste our time either by not having anyone since time is so
precious.
The Clerk: Actually, right after the meeting, they're going to
receive their formal invitation, but they're all expecting the
invitation. They all know it's coming.
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Good, perfect.
Thanks.
February 3, 2014
FEWO-09
[Translation]
The Chair: I am pleased to note the committee members' level of
motivation. In addition, I think that the clerk rose to the occasion, as
did the researchers. It is clear that you really want to continue this
study and I think that they have responded to the call, despite the
small constraints we encountered. In summary, everything is ready
for Wednesday's meeting.
I would like to direct your attention to the budget which was
submitted to you. It was prepared by the clerk who based her work
on previous studies and on the number of witnesses we are expecting
to hear for this study, while taking into account some of the
members' suggestions, such as holding videoconferences when that
is possible. Are there any questions or comments?
Ms. Sellah, you have the floor.
Mrs. Djaouida Sellah: Thank you, Madam Chair.
I took a look at it and as you said, these are approximate figures. I
see that there may be a videoconference to hear five people from
outside of Canada.
The Chair: Simply if some of the experts are from abroad. That is
not a fixed amount.
Mrs. Djaouida Sellah: I did say that these were approximate
figures. When we refer to outside of Canada, does that mean that
people are from abroad?
The Chair: Yes, we could for instance have a videoconference to
hear people in the United Kingdom, in Australia or elsewhere, who
might have information to impart. They could talk to us about
innovative practices in their country, or provide us with enlightening
information on our topic.
Mrs. Djaouida Sellah: How very interesting. This is the first time
I have seen a committee consider inviting witnesses from outside of
the country. That could be a good idea; why not?
The Chair: Yes. Committee members may suggest that we hear
expert witnesses they know in other countries.
Thank you, Ms. Sellah.
Ms. Truppe, you have the floor.
[English]
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Thank you, Madam Chair. I also have just a
couple of questions for the clerk.
If we end up having 25 witnesses, I know we could probably use
the video conference funds from the “outside Canada” if we don't
utilize that. But say that we did and we're over, do you have to go
back and request funding from somewhere else and bring it back
here, then, if we're over our $15,000 for the video conferences and
the witnesses?
● (1545)
The Clerk: No, the amount....
[Translation]
The amounts may be transferred from one item to another. We
don't need to ask for additional funds. The important thing is to not
go over the total amount requested here.
3
The Chair: We must not spend more than $22,500, but the other
amounts may be moved from one item to another. If we go beyond
the $22,500 limit, we are going to have to make another request.
[English]
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Right, that's what I thought. Okay.
My final question is that I see “Working Meals (3)”, so that means
that three meetings are covered. Is that correct? What happens to the
rest of them after that? I guess we don't get our fruit, because I know
people will be asking.
The Clerk: No, the regular snacks that we receive are not
covered. They are part of another budget. This is just in case we have
meetings at a different time, or we need a dinner or something to eat.
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Thanks for clarifying that. We didn't know
that. Thank you.
[Translation]
The Chair: Is the committee ready to adopt the budget for the
study on eating disorders?
(Motion agreed to)
The Chair: Ms. Truppe, you have the floor.
[English]
Mrs. Susan Truppe: I'm sorry, Madam Chair, I just have one
more thing.
I'd like to make a motion to amend the routine motions to take off
five minutes at the end, one from the opposition and one from the
government, to reflect the two members that we each lost.
You know, with our seven minutes...the seven, seven, five, five.
We need to take off five from there and five from here, and then that
reflects the two that we've just lost.
[Translation]
The Chair: That is a relevant remark. Since there is one less
member on each side, both from the government party and the
official opposition, we are going to have to amend the general rules
and shorten the time limit for statements and questions to witnesses.
We are going to have to shorten it by five minutes.
[English]
Mrs. Susan Truppe: At the end....
[Translation]
The Chair: Yes, at the end of each round.
[English]
The Clerk: Do you have the motion?
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Would you like me to read the motion?
The Clerk: Yes, please.
Mrs. Susan Truppe: I'd like to make a motion to amend the
routine motions, to remove five minutes from each—the opposition,
official opposition, and the government side—at the end of the
rotation. That's the word I'm looking for.
[Translation]
The Chair: This only shortens things by five minutes, and then
we can start a new question period.
4
FEWO-09
February 3, 2014
Is everyone in agreement with this change?
Mrs. Djaouida Sellah: May I ask for some further explanations
on this? There's a point I'm not getting.
The Chair: So we will see each other again next Wednesday at
3:30 p.m.
● (1550)
Will the five minutes be cut from the intervention time, or are we
simply talking about proceedings generally?
The Chair: The proceedings. The purpose is to be able to start a
new round and to make our proceedings more representative of the
members who are present. This will not shorten the meeting. We will
simply have another question period after the first.
[English]
Mrs. Susan Truppe: Oh, good.
[Translation]
The Chair: We have already reserved the room for several
meetings.
Is everyone in agreement with this change?
Thank you.
Some hon. members: Agreed.
The meeting is adjourned.
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