SECURITY OF THE LEGISLATIVE PRECINCT
CONTENTS
Wednesday 31 January 1996
Security of the legislative precinct
Hon Allan K. McLean, Speaker
Thomas Stelling, Sergeant at Arms
Allan Hough, acting manager, Legislative Security Service
Claude L. DesRosiers, Clerk of the House
STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Chair / Président: Arnott, Ted (Wellington PC)
Vice-Chair / Vice-Président: Hastings, John (Etobicoke-Rexdale PC)
*Arnott, Ted (Wellington PC)
*Bartolucci, Rick (Sudbury L)
*Boushy, Dave (Sarnia PC)
*Cooke, David S. (Windsor-Riverside ND)
*DeFaria, Carl (Mississauga East / -Est PC)
*Froese, Tom (St Catharines-Brock PC)
*Grimmett, Bill (Muskoka-Georgian Bay / Muskoka-Baie-Georgienne PC)
*Hastings, John (Etobicoke-Rexdale PC)
*Johnson, Ron (Brantford PC)
*Miclash, Frank (Kenora L)
*Morin, Gilles E. (Carleton East / -Est L)
*O'Toole, John R. (Durham East / -Est PC)
Silipo, Tony (Dovercourt ND)
*Stewart, R. Gary (Peterborough PC)
*In attendance / présents
Substitutions presents / Membres remplaçants présents:
Christopherson, David (Hamilton Centre / -Centre ND) for Mr Silipo
Clerk / Greffière: Freedman, Lisa
Staff / Personnel:
Yeager, Lewis, research officer, Legislative Research Service
Sibenik, Peter, procedural research clerk, Office of the Clerk
The committee met at 1305 in room 228.
SECURITY OF THE LEGISLATIVE PRECINCT
The Chair (Mr Ted Arnott): I'll call this meeting to order. Will the honourable members come to order. Mr Stewart, we're starting.
We have with us today the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Claude DesRosiers, and I want to welcome the Speaker back to the committee and appreciate his input. Mr DesRosiers, I understand you have a presentation. I'd like to turn over the floor to you.
Mr Claude L. DesRosiers (Clerk of the House): Thank you.
The Chair: I've been advised that the Clerk has requested that we move into closed session to have a frank discussion of the issues that we're faced with today, so I would indicate at this time we will move into closed session.
Mr Bill Grimmett (Muskoka-Georgian Bay): Isn't there usually a decision made by the committee that we go into closed session?
The Chair: It could be a decision of the committee, I guess. Are you challenging the decision of the Chair?
Mr Grimmett: I'm not challenging your decision; I'm just suggesting that when there is a decision to go into closed session, should it not be made by the group? Is that not the general procedure?
The Chair: If you would like to challenge the decision -- is there a reason why you prefer to keep it in open format at this time, Mr Grimmett?
Mr Grimmett: Under the specific circumstances, perhaps not. I just think, as a member of the public myself, I would have assumed that all sessions held in this building would be public unless determined by the group to be otherwise. Is that silly or what?
The Chair: Just due to the sensitive nature of the security issues, I guess if we're advertising where our weaknesses are and anyone in the public has an opportunity to view that, we might all be concerned about that. Do any members of the committee have any comments with respect to this issue? Are there other concerns? I could request, I suppose, a motion to move into --
Mr Frank Miclash (Kenora): I think it's the Chair's prerogative. I have no problem with that, Mr Chair. Go ahead.
The Chair: Are you satisfied with that?
Mr Grimmett: That's fine. I think, Mr Chair, though, that it is a sensible comment that when we move into closed session, there should be an explanation for it.
The Chair: Fair enough. We now go into closed session.
The committee continued in closed session at 1307.