[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]
Tuesday, April 22, 1997
.1108 
[English]
The Chairman (Mr. Paul Zed (Fundy - Royal, Lib.)): I call the meeting to order. I'm a little under the weather today, so I won't be as pugilistic as I normally am.
Anyway, good morning, colleagues. We're considering the report from the Sub-Committee on Members' Services. Who wishes to comment?
Mr. Langlois.
[Translation]
Mr. François Langlois (Bellechasse, B.Q.): Mr. Chairman, I would like to table the first report of the Sub-committee on Members' Services. It states how the committee was created, mentions the organization meeting that was held on April 9, and the two, or rather three official meetings that were held subsequently, including the meeting here this morning. I don't know whether the report should mention it as well.
So, we have three official meetings and one informal meeting which took the form of a lunch last Thursday with Mr. Marleau, the Clerk of the House of Commons, and the whips from the various parties. The discussion highlighted, as is reflected in the subcommittee's consensus, the need for the subcommittee to collect not only the impressions of members of Parliament, but also information on their daily experiences and the problems they encounter as members of Parliament, both here, at the House of Commons, on Parliament Hill, and in their ridings.
.1110
We distributed a questionnaire for this purpose, and each political party reminded their members to fill it in, so that we could get as many responses as possible before MPs leave the Hill.
The recommendations appear at the end of the report. Since there are only three, I will read them.
The Sub-committee recommends:
- That the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (or its successor) in the 36th
Parliament be strongly encouraged to appoint a Sub-committee on Members' Services as soon
as possible after its organization. Such a Sub-committee should initially have a similar mandate
to that of this Sub-committee.
The second recommendation reads as follows:
- The response to the questionnaire on Members' Allowances and Services that was circulated to
members on April 16, 1997 should be compiled and summarized for future use by the
Sub-committee and the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (or its
successor).
Finally,
- A copy of the questionnaire summary and results should be made available on a confidential
basis to the Clerk of the House.
The confidentiality of the responses is important. The idea is not to victimize people who provided certain answers, but rather to collect information. We wanted to ensure that only the Clerk and the researcher would know the names of the members of Parliament. The answers, not the names are the important thing. So the report refers to the fact that the information will be provided on a confidential basis.
[English]
The Chairman: Thank you very much.
Does anyone wish to comment on this matter before we proceed to the question?
You've heard the motion that the report from the Sub-Committee on Members' Services be adopted and that the chairman present the report to the House. Are you ready for the question?
Motion agreed to
The Chairman: The second motion is that the committee be authorized to pay for working luncheons for the committee and its subcommittees.
Is that your motion?
Mr. François Langlois: I so move.
Mr. Jack Frazer (Saanich - Gulf Islands, Ref.): Mr. Chairman, does this apply to the new Parliament?
The Clerk of the Committee: No.
The Chairman: He had lunch the other day and he has to have it paid for.
Mr. Jack Frazer: How come I wasn't invited?
An hon. member: You're not on the subcommittee.
The Chairman: And business of supply.
Motion agreed to
The Chairman: Mr. Frazer.
Mr. Jack Frazer: I still seek answers on the private members' business subcommittee report. We have no answers yet. Are we to believe that it's to be stonewalled?
The Chairman: ``Stonewalled'' is not quite the word I would use. I would say ``stoned'' perhaps.
Mr. Jack Frazer: Are there not some of those recommendations that could be accepted?
The Chairman: To be very blunt and candid with you, it's not because they haven't been looked at. I frankly think that no one has had time to put the time aside to deal with it. I'll take full blame for trying to juggle so many balls. I'm sometimes afraid that some of them will hit me on the head, and this is one of them.
Mrs. Catterall.
Ms Marlene Catterall: [Inaudible - Editor]...if that will be dealt with this week?
The Chairman: To be blunt, that's one of the issues I was trying to deal with. We've been working on some stuff.
Mrs. Parrish.
Mrs. Carolyn Parrish (Mississauga West, Lib.): You've just passed a motion that asks the next Parliament to continue this committee. Could we not pass a motion today to have the next Parliament look at that committee report so it doesn't die? We put a lot of work into that.
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The Chairman: Madam Clerk, you must be able to think of some way I can get the work preserved. If not, we can't deal with it today, and we don't have a long period of time. Is there a way to preserve everything?
The Clerk: Yes, there is a way. At the beginning of a new Parliament we prepare a briefing book, which is circulated to each and every member of the procedure and House affairs committee. In that briefing book we usually include a text indicating what proceedings went on in the previous legislature, so we could include a copy of that report.
The Chairman: But more than just a proceeding, could you frame a motion for us that would enable the committee to put that as its first priority? Can I bind that new committee? I don't think there's any problem. There's a political will here to do this.
The Clerk: Yes, but we can't bind it.
The Chairman: Can I do anything with them?
The Clerk: We could make sure it's circulated to the members of the procedure and House affairs committee in the next -
Mr. Jack Frazer: I move that we insert the report in the form the clerk has recommended. I guess all we can do then is give the responsibility to the next procedure and House affairs committee to pick it up and run with it.
The Chairman: Is there anything else that would be appropriate, Madam Clerk, to add toMr. Frazer's motion?
Ms Catterall.
Ms Marlene Catterall: Can we do what we've just done in the report, that is, recommend that the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, or its successor in the 36th Parliament, be strongly encouraged to give consideration to the report, etc.?
The Chairman: Can we do that?
The Clerk: Yes.
The Chairman: Could we make it a top priority or something? We could make a recommendation.
The Clerk: We could incorporate -
Ms Marlene Catterall: I personally think my committee report should be a top priority.
The Chairman: We'll say ``among the top priorities''. How's that?
Mr. Ray Speaker (Lethbridge, Ref.): Among the priorities.
Mr. Jack Frazer: Or that it should receive a priority.
The Chairman: There's another one. I'm in your hands, colleagues. I'm trying to -
Mrs. Carolyn Parrish: Can I move that motion? It'll be drafted exactly the way it is, or Jack...
The Chairman: Jack's motion, I think, is to have it included as briefing materials.
Mr. Jack Frazer: Anything we can do to bring it to the fore with as much force and as quickly as possible I would agree with.
The Chairman: So how do I do this, Madam Clerk? Do I have Jack withdraw and -
The Clerk: No, she could second it.
The Chairman: Do you want to second Jack's motion?
Mrs. Carolyn Parrish: I like Marlene's.
Ms Marlene Catterall: Let Jack move that and Carolyn can second it. I have no pride of ownership here.
The Chairman: Fine.
Mr. Speaker, please.
Mr. Ray Speaker: My subamendment would read as follows: that all subsequent discussion be forwarded to Mr. Jack Frazer at Saltspring Island.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
Mr. Jack Frazer: If I do receive it, I'll promise to give it due consideration.
Ms Marlene Catterall: You can say: ``Thank you for your letter and concern. I can assure you your views will receive the consideration they deserve.'' It covers a multitude of sins.
Motion agreed to
The Chairman: On a personal note, before I conclude, I want to deeply thank you for your cooperation and working camaraderie that I think we've developed and continued with over the course of the last year and a half. Certainly, it has been a great pleasure to work with all of you, and I know I'll miss some of you.
Ms Marlene Catterall: Jack's not running again.
The Chairman: That's why I'm saying I know I'll miss Jack and Ray.
An hon. member: And John.
The Chairman: And John. I know I'll miss my western friends.
Mrs. Parrish.
Mrs. Carolyn Parrish: I'd like to make a comment, too, because I hardly ever say anything nice to you, Mr. Chairman. We thought no one could replace Peter Milliken, and we were very suspicious when you first sat in that chair, but you've done an excellent job.
The Chairman: Thank you.
Mrs. Carolyn Parrish: I do thoroughly appreciate what you've done.
Mr. Ray Speaker: You may recall that at the first meeting I poked you pretty hard, and you've proven well -
The Chairman: I probably deserved it.
Mr. Ray Speaker: I would just like to thank you.
The Chairman: Thank you.
[Translation]
Thank you. Mr. Langlois.
Mr. François Langlois: On behalf of the Official Opposition, I too would like to make a few comments. Mr. Chairman, you came into a difficult situation, when the committee was studying the press release put out by the Member for Charlesbourg. You were given a very rough ride and I think you did an excellent job throughout those hearings.
Furthermore, I think we could have done without those events. This was a political issue that came along. Studying the communique or press release completely disrupted the work of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. We were supposed to be studying the Referendum Act and the Elections Act, and the time we devoted to the press release threw our schedule into complete disarray. Let us hope that incidents of this type will not recur in future. Thank you for your co-operation. I don't know how the Conservatives are doing in Fundy - Royal. We will find out on the evening of the election.
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[English]
The Chairman: The Reform is stronger.
Thank you very much. Have a good break.
The meeting is adjourned.