CONTENTS
Wednesday 8 December 1993
Organization
STANDING COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT
Chair / Président: Huget, Bob (Sarnia ND)
*Acting Chair / Président suppléant: Waters, Daniel (Muskoka-Georgian Bay ND)
Vice-Chair / Vice-Président: Cooper, Mike (Kitchener-Wilmot ND)
Conway, Sean G. (Renfrew North/-Nord L)
*Fawcett, Joan M. (Northumberland L)
*Jordan, Leo (Lanark-Renfrew PC)
*Klopp, Paul (Huron ND)
*Murdock, Sharon (Sudbury ND)
*Offer, Steven (Mississauga North/-Nord L)
Turnbull, David (York Mills PC)
*Wilson, Gary (Kingston and The Islands/Kingston et Les Îles ND)
*Wood, Len (Cochrane North/-Nord ND)
*In attendance / présents
Substitutions present / Membres remplaçants présents:
Sutherland, Kimble (Oxford ND) for Mr Huget
Clerk / Greffière: Manikel, Tannis
The committee met at 1550 in committee room 1.
ORGANIZATION
Clerk of the Committee (Ms Tannis Manikel): In the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair, we must elect an Acting Chair. Are there any nominations?
Mr Paul Klopp (Huron): I nominate Mr Waters.
Clerk of the Committee: Mr Klopp has nominated Mr Waters. Any further nominations? Seeing none, will Mr Waters assume the chair.
The Acting Chair (Mr Daniel Waters): Thank you, Madam Clerk. I think we only have one item on the agenda for today and that is, as a committee, what we will be doing in the intersession. It's my understanding that there are two private bills out there and it's also my understanding that the Quebec legislation will be coming to this committee, hopefully as of today.
Mr Klopp: Do you want to go ahead of me?
Ms Sharon Murdock (Sudbury): I just have a question to ask. What are the two private bills?
The Acting Chair: The private bills are Mr Owens's private bill and Mr Duignan's private bill, I believe. One deals with something on the Niagara Escarpment and the other one deals with employment standards and WCB. Mr Duignan's bill is An Act to amend the Environmental Protection Act in respect of the Niagara Escarpment and Mr Owens's bill is An Act to amend the Employment Standards Act and the Workmen's Compensation Act.
Ms Murdock: Workers'.
The Acting Chair: Workers', sorry. Thank you for the correction, Ms Murdock.
Ms Murdock: You're welcome.
The Acting Chair: Those are the two private bills and then there is the Quebec labour legislation, which will take precedence over both of those private bills. Discussion on time? Do we have a particular time that the committee wishes to meet?
Mr Klopp: If I could be of help, I would recommend that the subcommittee go through the issue of these very important topics and report back to the committee on what they'd like to recommend. Is that possible? I understand that's how it's normally done.
The Acting Chair: I'm in the chair, but I'll speak anyway. The problem I see with that is that, although we are all probably aware that the House will more than likely meet next week, your motion reads that the subcommittee will report back to the committee. If you want to leave it that the subcommittee can make the decision, then that's one thing, but if you want us to report back and the House doesn't sit, how are we going to do that?
Mr Klopp: I'll make a friendly amendment to that unless there's something else further here. My colleague seems to be hitting me over the head.
Ms Murdock: If I might make a motion.
Mr Klopp: What about my motion?
Ms Murdock: It would resolve your problem, Mr Klopp.
For the purpose of the standing committee public hearings over the winter recess, the Chair, in consultation with the subcommittee on business and the full standing committee, time permitting, shall have the authority to make all arrangements necessary for the orderly consideration of all matters referred to the standing committee.
The Acting Chair: That is your motion, Ms Murdock. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favour of the motion? Opposed, if any? Seeing no one opposed, the motion carries.
Ms Murdock: Also in keeping with the subcommittee, I move that a subcommittee on committee business be appointed to meet from time to time at the call of the Chair or at the request of any member thereof to consider and report to the committee on the business of the committee; that substitution be permitted on the subcommittee; that the presence of all members of the subcommittee is necessary to constitute a meeting; and that the subcommittee be composed of the following members: Mr Huget as Chair, Mr Cooper, Mr Offer, Mr Turnbull; and that any member may designate a substitute member on the subcommittee who is of the same recognized party.
The Acting Chair: Any discussion on Ms Murdock's second motion? No discussion on her second motion? All those in favour of that motion? Opposed, if any? The motion is carried. Is there any other business that anyone wishes to bring before the committee?
Ms Murdock: Did we want to discuss at all, just among those of us who are regular members on this committee, time frames so our subcommittee knows or are we going to just tell our representatives on the subcommittee what we would like?
The Acting Chair: As Acting Chair, I am in your hands. If you wish to take a moment and try to give some preliminary direction to the subcommittee, I'm more than willing to sit here and entertain that.
After hearing some discussion across the floor here unofficially, I get the feeling that we are going to leave this in the hands of our very capable subcommittee to come up and not only meet the needs of the committee but meet our time frames. I would suggest that we leave it with them.
Anything else on the agenda? Hearing no other business being brought forward to committee, I would suggest that the committee stands adjourned until the call of the Chair. Thank you very much for your attendance.
The committee adjourned at 1557.