Veterans Affairs

The committee held its first meeting of the session to elect a chair and two vice-chairs. Marie-France Lalonde was elected chair, Blake Richards was elected first vice-chair, and Marie-Hélène Gaudreau was elected second vice-chair. The committee then adopted a series of routine motions covering analyst services, the establishment of a subcommittee on agenda and procedure, meeting quorum rules, travel procedures, witness testimony timing, document distribution, working meals, witness expenses, access to in camera meetings, transcripts of in camera meetings, notice of motions, orders of reference for bills, technical tests for witnesses, whips' access to digital binders, and maintenance of order and decorum.

Blake Richards moved two motions to adopt reports from the previous Parliament that had not received a government response. The first motion concerned the report "The Persian Gulf War Was a War." Sean Casey proposed an amendment to delete the reference to prorogation as the reason the government did not table a response, which Richards accepted as friendly. The motion was agreed to as amended. The second motion, concerning the report "Reforming Transition from Military to Civilian Life," was moved in the same form, with the prorogation reference already removed, and was also agreed to.

Both motions request the government to table a comprehensive response to each report, and direct the chair to present the reports to the House. No other business was discussed or left unresolved.