CONTENTS
Wednesday 15 November 1995
Election of Chair
Election of Vice-Chair
Appointment of subcommittee
STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE OMBUDSMAN
*Chair / Président: Parker, John L. (York East / -Est PC)
*Vice-Chair / Vice-Président: Froese, Tom (St Catharines-Brock PC)
*Caplan, Elinor (Oriole L)
*DeFaria, Carl (Mississauga East / -Est PC)
*Doyle, Ed (Wentworth East / -Est PC)
*Fisher, Barbara (Bruce PC)
Galt, Doug (Northumberland L)
*Hoy, Pat (Essex-Kent L)
*Jordan, Leo (Lanark-Renfrew PC)
*Lalonde, Jean-Marc (Prescott and Russell / Prescott et Russell L)
*Marchese, Rosario (Fort York ND)
Stockwell, Chris (Etobicoke West / -Ouest PC)
*Vankoughnet, Bill (Frontenac-Addington PC)
*Wood, Len (Cochrane North / -Nord ND)
*In attendance / présents
Clerk / Greffier: Decker, Todd
Staff / Personnel:
Kaye, Philip J., research officer, Legislative Research Service
The committee met at 1009 in room 151.
ELECTION OF CHAIR
Clerk of the Committee (Mr Todd Decker): Honourable members, it is my duty to call upon you to elect one of your own as Chair of the committee. Are there any nominations for the position?
Mr Bill Vankoughnet (Frontenac-Addington): I'd like to nominate John Parker.
Clerk of the Committee: Mr Vankoughnet has nominated Mr Parker. Are there any further nominations for the position? If not, I'll declare nominations closed and Mr Parker elected Chair of the committee.
Mrs Elinor Caplan (Oriole): That's the toughest election you'll ever have. Let's hope they're all that easy.
The Chair (Mr John L. Parker): Given my experience in yesterday's committee, I know that things don't always go that smoothly and they won't necessarily stay that way. But thank you very much for that.
Mrs Caplan: We certainly wish you good luck, Mr Chair.
The Chair: Thank you, Ms Caplan.
ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR
The Chair: I would now like to solicit nominations for Vice-Chair.
Mr Carl DeFaria (Mississauga East): Mr Chair, I'd like to nominate Tom Froese for Vice-Chair.
The Chair: Tom Froese. Are there any other nominations? Do I ask Mr Froese if he accepts the nomination? I don't hear any objection.
Mr Rosario Marchese (Fort York): We assume he will.
The Chair: Hearing no other nominations, I declare nominations for Vice-Chair closed.
APPOINTMENT OF SUBCOMMITTEE
The Chair: I'm now reminded that I am to solicit nominees for the subcommittee of this committee. Do I hear nominations?
Mrs Caplan: Our nominee will be Mr Hoy.
The Chair: Mr Hoy.
Mr Len Wood (Cochrane North): I nominate Rosario Marchese.
The Chair: Mr Marchese. I'm told that I'm automatically on it and so is Mr Froese, which suits me just fine.
Can I have a motion to appoint those subcommittee members?
Mrs Caplan: So moved.
The Chair: Mrs Caplan so moves. Done. I guess I put it to a vote.
All in favour? Carried.
We face an option at this point, and I invite direction from the committee. Yes, Mrs Caplan.
Mrs Caplan: In view of the fact that we have a caucus meeting which began 10 minutes ago, could I suggest that we defer discussions around the role and function of the committee to a meeting of the subcommittee and that we adjourn the meeting at this time?
The Chair: What's the pleasure of the committee?
Mr Marchese: Just for clarification, that the subcommittee discuss it, you mean, as opposed to the whole committee?
Mrs Caplan: I don't care if you want to have another meeting at some other time to discuss it, but it might be a good idea for the subcommittee to just sit and talk about it first.
Mr Marchese: Okay, sure.
Mrs Barbara Fisher (Bruce): I have no objections to delaying it because of the reason given, but I do have some objection to it just going to subcommittee. As a new member, it would be very nice to know what the role might be.
Mrs Caplan: Well, it would come back to the committee for full discussion. The subcommittee does report back its recommendations.
Mrs Fisher: I understand that.
Mrs Caplan: But I will withdraw that suggestion if you want to just have another meeting at another time to discuss the role of the committee. That's fine with us.
Mrs Fisher: Great.
Mr Marchese: I would accept that second proposal.
The Chair: So the proposal on the floor is that we just adjourn that discussion to another meeting of this committee?
Mr Marchese: Yes.
The Chair: To the next meeting, is that acceptable, which would be a week today?
All in favour? So decided. Any other business?
Mr Leo Jordan (Lanark-Renfrew): Mr Chairman, are we aware of any business that's going to be referred to this committee in the near future?
The Chair: I have nothing on the paper before me. Does anyone else have any material that they intend to bring before this committee?
I'm reminded that the Ombudsman has extended an invitation, and I don't have a formal invitation before me, but the signal has been sent and no doubt, if necessary, it'll be followed up formally that this committee meet with the Ombudsman at an occasion that's convenient. It has been suggested it would be the next meeting of this committee or the next one after that.
Mr Marchese: Good idea.
The Chair: I would suggest, since we've already ruled on this one -- no, we haven't. We're still in business. So what is the pleasure of the committee on that suggestion?
Mr Marchese: Mr Chair, we should have the orientation meeting so that people are aware of the kinds of functions this committee would do, and once we are fully aware of that, we can invite the Ombudsman to come in front of this committee to give a presentation.
The Chair: Makes sense to me. Agreed? Fine.
We will meet next week and we will deal with the role and purpose of this committee and deal with other business at that time.
Mr Marchese: If I can suggest, Mr Chair: If there is any other useful reading the researcher has that we should have, you might send that to us a couple of days in advance so that we could read it.
The Chair: I'm happy to do my best to comply with that.
Mr Marchese: Very good.
The Chair: Good. Any other business? I declare the meeting adjourned. Thank you all very much.
The committee adjourned at 1014.