The committee met at 0900 in room 151.

Election of Chair

The Clerk of the Committee (Ms. Vanessa Kattar): Good morning, everyone. My name is Vanessa. I am the Clerk of the Committee.

It is my honourable duty to call upon you now to elect a Chair. Are there any nominations? MPP Dowie.

Mr. Andrew Dowie: I move that Mary-Margaret McMahon be appointed as the Chair of the committee.

The Clerk of the Committee (Ms. Vanessa Kattar): Does the member accept the nomination?

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: I wholeheartedly accept. Thank you so much.

The Clerk of the Committee (Ms. Vanessa Kattar): Are there any other nominations? Okay. There being no further nominations, I declare the nominations closed and MPP McMahon elected as Chair of the committee.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): No applause?

Applause.

Interjection.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): My style—baptism by fire. Be easy on me.

Welcome. This will be the fun committee, now that you have me as Chair.

Thank you all for doing your part to serve Ontarians, and congratulations on your re-election or election, and welcome to the new members.

Thank you for electing me Chair.

Appointment of Vice-Chairs

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): Standing order 119(e) states: “Where the Chair of a standing committee is a member of a recognized party in opposition to the government other than the official opposition, the First Vice-Chair shall be a member of the party forming the government and the Second Vice-Chair shall be a member of the party forming the official opposition.”

With that, it is my duty to call upon you to appoint a First Vice-Chair. Is there a motion? MPP Dowie.

Mr. Andrew Dowie: I move that MPP Robert Bailey be appointed as First Vice-Chair of the committee.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): A motion has been moved by MPP Dowie. Is there any debate? Are the members ready to vote? Shall the motion be carried? All those in favour, raise your hand. All those opposed, raise your hand. The motion carries.

Congratulations, MPP Bailey.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): I now call upon you to appoint a Second Vice-Chair. Is there a motion?

MPP Alexa Gilmour: Yes. I would like to move that we make Wayne Gates the Second Vice-Chair.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): A motion has been moved by MPP Gilmour. In there any debate? Are the members ready to vote? Shall the motion be carried? All those in favour, please raise your hand. All those opposed, please raise your hand. The motion is carried.

Congratulations, MPP Gates.

Appointment of subcommittee

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): The next item on the agenda is the appointment of the subcommittee on committee business. Is there a motion? MPP Dowie.

Mr. Andrew Dowie: 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; and

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: the Chair as Chair, member Laura Smith, member Stephanie Smyth and member Wayne Gates; and

That substitution be permitted on the subcommittee.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): A motion has been moved by MPP Dowie. Is there any debate? MPP Gates.

MPP Wayne Gates: Rather than have myself on the subcommittee—or am I automatic? Because I would like MPP Gilmour on the subcommittee.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): You want both of you on the subcommittee?

MPP Wayne Gates: No. I didn’t know if I was automatically on the subcommittee or if I can appoint MPP Gilmour—because that’s how the party wanted it to go.

Mr. Andrew Dowie: In the motion, you are on the subcommittee, and you may have a substitution. That’s the way the motion is written.

MPP Wayne Gates: No, I [inaudible] on the subcommittee and put MPP Gilmour on.

Mr. Andrew Dowie: You’d like to come off?

MPP Wayne Gates: Yes. That’s how the party wanted it.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): Is there any further debate on that?

MPP Dowie, would you like to amend that motion?

Mr. Andrew Dowie: Because substitution is possible under this scenario, I’d like to keep it intact. But at the end of the day, if you feel it’s best for the operations on your side, that’s fine. I can amend the motion.

MPP Wayne Gates: MPP Dowie, I appreciate that. Thank you very much. Yes, I think that’s what I would like to do.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): MPP Dowie, could you reread it?

Mr. Andrew Dowie: Do you want the amended motion?

Interjection.

Mr. Andrew Dowie: Okay. I will withdraw the motion.

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; and

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: the Chair as Chair, MPP Laura Smith, MPP Stephanie Smyth and MPP Alexa Gilmour; and

That substitution be permitted on the subcommittee.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): A motion has been moved by MPP Dowie. Is there any debate on the newly amended motion? Are the members ready to vote? Shall the motion carry? All those in favour raise your hand. All those opposed, please raise your hand. The motion is carried.

We will now go into closed session to receive a short briefing by the Clerk and the research officer. It will be scintillating. I will recess the committee until we have cleared the room.

The committee recessed at 0908 and later continued in closed session.

STANDING COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Chair / Présidente

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon (Beaches–East York L)

First Vice-Chair / Premier Vice-Président

Mr. Robert Bailey (Sarnia–Lambton PC)

Second Vice-Chair / Deuxième Vice-Président

MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls ND)

Mr. Robert Bailey (Sarnia–Lambton PC)

MPP Billy Denault (Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke PC)

Mr. Andrew Dowie (Windsor–Tecumseh PC)

MPP Mohamed Firin (York South–Weston / York-Sud–Weston PC)

MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls ND)

MPP Alexa Gilmour (Parkdale–High Park ND)

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon (Beaches–East York L)

Mr. Matthew Rae (Perth–Wellington PC)

Mr. Sheref Sabawy (Mississauga–Erin Mills PC)

Ms. Laura Smith (Thornhill PC)

MPP Stephanie Smyth (Toronto–St. Paul’s L)

Substitutions / Membres remplaçants

MPP Bill Rosenberg (Algoma–Manitoulin PC)

Clerk / Greffière

Ms. Vanessa Kattar

Staff / Personnel

Ms. Lauren Warner, research officer,
Research Services