On the agenda this week was a single item: a motion had been put forward last week, proposing that all committee meetings should occur in camera (in private). Dan Harris (NDP) had proposed an amendment to the motion, so that meetings may only be held in camera with the support of at least one MP from the opposition. The meeting Tuesday was rather quiet; Mrs. Michaud (NDP) spoke for most of the meeting about the obligation of parliament to be open and transparent. About three-quarters of the way through the meeting, Mr. Aubin took over and continued the discussion. His speech was similar to his colleague’s, calling for the committee to remain open to the public.
Thursday’s meeting was livelier. The first part of the meeting, the committee members were joking and laughing as Mr. Aubin continued his speech. Around halfway through the meeting however, the atmosphere became much more serious, as discussions became quite heated. Several motions were proposed and a vote of no-confidence put forward, but these were unrecognized by the Chair, because the current motion was still in discussion. By the end of the meeting, Mr. Aubin had still not finished his discourse, and the committee adjourned until next week.