The committee met at 0900 in committee room 1.

Committee business

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): Good morning, everyone. It’s a beautiful day.

The Standing Committee on Government Agencies will now come to order. As always, all comments by members and witnesses should go through the Chair.

We will start with committee business, which is dealing with the motion from last week.

At our last meeting on June 4, MPP Smith from Thornhill moved the following motion:

“That the Standing Committee on Government Agencies rescind the decision of the subcommittee on committee business to schedule further meetings during the current adjournment of the House; and

“That the Clerk of the Committee be directed to cancel all remaining notices of meetings arising from that decision.”

MPP Smith’s motion referred to the subcommittee’s determination of the committee’s meeting schedule during the current adjournment of the House, which was set pursuant to standing order 110(f)(13). I wasn’t sure whether this motion was in order. I made the decision to reserve my ruling so that I could take some time to properly review it. I’m ready to rule now and I would like to thank the committee for your patience and your submissions.

The process for setting the committee’s agenda and scheduling its reviews of intended appointees is outlined in its permanent order of reference under standing order 110(f). This standing order prescribes an important role for the subcommittee in this process, which is unique to this committee.

When the House stands adjourned for longer than one week, as is currently the case, standing order 110(f)(13) takes effect. This standing order states: “During any adjournment of the House that exceeds one week, the committee shall meet on such day or days as may be determined by the subcommittee, but in any event not more than three times per month.”

There have been no questions raised about the validity of the meeting schedule determined by the subcommittee. By the time the committee met on June 4, it was no longer possible to rescind the subcommittee decision, given that the committee was already meeting pursuant to it. However, I have considered the ability of the committee to cancel or alter the meeting schedule set by the subcommittee.

In her submission, MPP Smith made the case that the committee should have the authority to review and amend the decision of the subcommittee, otherwise the subcommittee would be elevated to a higher level of authority than the committee itself.

The argument is that subcommittees are subordinate to committees, which is generally true. However, the language of this particular standing order is quite clear. It says that the committee shall meet on dates as may be determined by the subcommittee and does not provide any authority for the committee to vary that decision. In this case, the subcommittee is empowered by the standing orders, or in other words, by the House, to make a decision that the committee does not otherwise have the authority to make during any adjournment of the House that exceeds one week.

MPP Smith also flagged that the subcommittee reports to the full committee on its selections and the time it allots to reviewing each intended appointee, and argued that this confirms the committee’s authority over the decisions of the subcommittee.

In response, I will draw members’ attention to paragraph 4 of standing order 110(f), which provides that the subcommittee shall report to the committee on the selections of intended appointees for review. In contrast, paragraph 13 does not provide for a report to the committee.

Additionally, I looked back at the committee’s history and found that from the time standing order 110(f)(13) came into effect in the 36th Parliament through the 41st Parliament, the committee met regularly during adjournment periods. These meetings were authorized either by the subcommittee, in accordance with the permanent order of reference, or by order of the House. I was unable to find any examples of the full committee altering a meeting schedule that was determined by the subcommittee in accordance with the permanent order of reference.

I cannot find any authority, either in the standing orders or the precedents, for the committee to alter the meeting days as determined by the subcommittee under standing order 110(f)(13). For this reason, my ruling is that MPP Smith’s motion is out of order.

MPP Bouma?

Mr. Will Bouma: Thank you, Chair. I appeal your ruling to the Speaker, pursuant to standing order 123.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): MPP Bouma has moved to appeal the ruling of the Chair. As prescribed in standing order 123(a), no debate shall be permitted on this decision. Are the members ready to vote? I’m seeing yes. Shall the Chair’s ruling be appealed to the Speaker? All those in favour? All those opposed? I declare the motion carried.

The committee Clerk will prepare a report that I shall deliver to the Speaker. The committee will continue with its business while we wait for the Speaker’s ruling.

MPP Smith?

Ms. Laura Smith: If we could have some clarity on the proceedings—the time frame.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): That is entirely up to the Speaker.

Subcommittee report

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): Our next item of business will be the adoption of the subcommittee report. We have a subcommittee report dated Thursday, June 4, 2026. Could I please have a motion?

Does anyone want to move a motion to adopt the subcommittee report?

MPP Alexa Gilmour: I will.

I move adoption of the subcommittee report on intended appointees dated Thursday, June 4, 2026, on the order-in-council certificate dated May 29, 2026.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): Any discussion? Are the members ready to vote? All those in favour? Opposed? That motion loses.

MPP Gates.

MPP Wayne Gates: Could we take a break for 10 minutes?

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): Is there agreement to take a recess for 10 minutes?

Interjection: No.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): Seeing none—the intended appointees, we will not be hearing from them today. I apologize to the intended appointees for that.

Interjection.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): Yes?

Mr. Will Bouma: With that, before we adjourn then, Chair, I was just wondering if you could provide some clarity as to what the committee business will be moving forward until we receive a ruling from the Speaker.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): We will be proceeding as normal until we hear from the Speaker. The meeting dates are set.

We do need to finish with the certificate extension. That’s the last item of business. The deadline to review the intended appointees selected from the May 15, 2026, certificate is set to expire on June 14, 2026. Is there unanimous consent to extend the certificate by 30 days? I heard a no.

MPP Gates?

MPP Wayne Gates: Are we allowed to speak to whether we extend the debate or not with the appointments?

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): No. It’s just a UC.

MPP Wayne Gates: I’ll tell you why, and maybe then you can make a ruling. I’m trying to figure out why the Conservatives are fighting so hard not to meet over the summer with the intended appointees.

Mr. Will Bouma: Point of order, Chair. We’re not debating—

MPP Wayne Gates: This is ridiculous. I think it’s—

Mr. Will Bouma: Point of order, Chair. This is not a matter of debate.

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): Yes, thank you. This is a UC, so there’s no debate.

MPP Wayne Gates: Pardon?

The Chair (Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon): It’s a UC, so there’s no debate on this.

That concludes our business for today. This committee now stands adjourned. Thank you, everyone.

The committee adjourned at 0909.

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

Mr. Will Bouma (Brantford–Brant PC)

Mr. Billy Pang (Markham–Unionville PC)

MPP Paul Vickers (Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound PC)

Clerk / Greffière

Ms. Vanessa Kattar

Staff / Personnel

Ms. Lauren Warner, research officer,
Research Services