House Business

Hon. Jim Ernst (Government House Leader): Madam Speaker, on a few matters of House business. When the House agreed last Thursday to change an Estimates procedure with respect to this coming Thursday, I neglected to suggest, I believe, there is a willingness of the House to cancel all activities on Friday of this week.

Madam Speaker: Is there willingness of the House not to sit on Friday?

Some Honourable Members: Agreed.

Madam Speaker: Agreed and so ordered.

Mr. Ernst: Madam Speaker, in order to accommodate the third committee sitting on Thursday, I will need leave to introduce several motions adjusting the rules to compensate for the third committee. Do I have leave?

Madam Speaker: Does the honourable government House leader have leave to adjust the rules to accommodate a third section of supply on Thursday?

Some Honourable Members: Leave.

Madam Speaker: Leave.

Mr. Ernst: I move, seconded by the Minister of Environment (Mr. Cummings),

THAT when the Committee of Supply is sitting in three sections at this session, (a) to interpret the term “both sections (of the Committee of Supply)” in subrules 74.(12) and (13) and subrule 75.(1) to mean “all sections (of that committee)”; (b) to interpret the term “Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson of the Committee” in subrule 74.(16) to mean “the Chairperson of a section of the Committee”; and (c) to interpret the term “the Chairperson or the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee of Supply” in subrule 74.(17) to mean “the Chairperson of a section of the Committee of Supply”.

Motion agreed to.

Mr. Ernst: Madam Speaker, I wonder if I might have leave to nominate a Chairperson for the third Committee of Supply.

Madam Speaker: Does the honourable government House leader have leave to nominate a Chairperson for the third section of Committee of Supply?

An Honourable Member: Leave.

Madam Speaker: Leave has been granted.

Mr. Ernst: I move, Madam Speaker, seconded by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Stefanson), that the member for Emerson (Mr. Penner) be appointed the Chairperson of the third Committee of Supply.

Motion agreed to.

Mr. Ernst: Madam Speaker, I wonder if I might have leave to nominate a Chairperson for the third Committee of Supply.

Madam Speaker: Does the honourable government House leader have leave to nominate a Chairperson for the third section of Committee of Supply?

Some Honourable Members: Leave.

Madam Speaker: Leave? Leave has been granted.

Mr. Ernst: I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Stefanson), that the member for Emerson (Mr. Penner) be appointed the Chairperson of the third Committee of Supply.

Motion agreed to.

Mr. Ernst: Madam Speaker, in order to accommodate that, I will have to make changes to the order of Estimates, but I have not yet had a chance to discuss that with the opposition House leader (Mr. Ashton), so we will have to do that at a later time.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship (Mr. Gilleshammer), that Madam Speaker do now leave the Chair and the House resolve itself into a committee to consider of the Supply to be granted to Her Majesty.

Motion agreed to, and the House resolved itself into a committee to consider of the Supply to be granted to Her Majesty, with the honourable member for La Verendrye (Mr. Sveinson) in the Chair for the Department of Education and Training; and the honourable member for St. Norbert (Mr. Laurendeau) in the Chair for the Department of Health.

* (1600)