Evidence of meeting #9 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cwb.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
I just wanted to know, if you had the vote, whether it should be every producer, and I think you said yes.
11:10 a.m.
Executive Director, Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association
I think the point we want to make is that the law should be consistent across the land; it should be harmonized. Farmers in western Canada should have the same rights and freedoms that farmers elsewhere in Canada have. We'll leave how that's achieved to you, but that's a fundamental right that we believe western farmers should have.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
And conversely, eastern Canadian farmers should have the benefits of the Wheat Board, if they so desire.
Thank you.
Having said that, our meeting will be adjourned, but at this point, stay sitting, folks, as we have a bit of housekeeping to do.
The witnesses are excused.
Thank you so much for your presentations, folks. That was great.
Getting down to business here, at the last committee meeting we had talked about a quick road trip over to the Rothsay biodiesel plant. That was for next Tuesday. We have to go to the liaison committee. The clerk has done up a budget. We have a bit of a timeframe as to what the Rothsay folks would like us to see and do while we're there. Having said that, we've also had some changes in our commitments next Tuesday, in that we're now sitting until midnight next week. Taking it all into consideration, is the committee still interested in making that trip? If so, I will make the presentation to the liaison committee.
André.
11:10 a.m.
Bloc
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
I agree with the idea of our touring the ethanol plant. However, we had discussed our schedule. I'd like us to leave in the morning, in order to return late in the day. That way, if there is a vote or some such thing in the House, we'll be able to take part. I wouldn't want to miss anything. I don't see why we couldn't leave early in the day, even before the committee's scheduled meeting time. I think this would be an ideal time to tour the plant, and later we could come back here.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
All right. We'll just double check as to what our meeting is about next Tuesday.
Okay. It's on transportation issues. If we change that to Thursday, when we have no committee meeting, we could do the road trip on Tuesday.
Is everyone okay with that?
We have it for twelve members of the committee, as well as the staffers, and various and sundry hitchhikers we'll pick up on the way, interpreters too, and so on. The trip will be made by chartered coach.
We've put together a budget. We have a motion that would have to be presented at the committee. I will seek roughly $2,500 from the liaison committee in order to make that happen.
Are you folks in general agreement with that?
11:10 a.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
I will read the motion, then. The motion reads as follows:
That the proposed budget in the amount of $2,506 for the Committee's travel to Ste. Catherine (Québec) on June 20, 2006, in relation to its study on Biofuel strategy, be adopted and that the Chair present the said budget to the Budget Subcommittee of the Liaison Committee.
11:10 a.m.
An hon. member
So moved.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
(Motion agreed to)
Providing they meet quickly enough for us to get this done, we will make it happen.
The motion that we're going to do that will be presented to the House.
11:15 a.m.
NDP
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
Gerry, when are we speaking on your Bill C-300?
11:15 a.m.
NDP
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
Okay, so there's no conflict with our trip that you're proposing?
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Not unless you're going to speak all night. I'm happy to do that, if you want to run straight through. If you get it voted through before we rise, that would be great.
11:15 a.m.
NDP
11:15 a.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Are you going to have a vote for that? I thought you guys were opposed to votes. How about doing it on division?
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
I'm just speechless at some of the points Mr. Easter makes.
That would be fine. On division's great; I'll take it any way I can get it.
So that handles the Rothsay situation.
All right. We will go in the morning at the normal time of our committee meeting. We'll leave here at nine o'clock and be back in time for votes, etc.--providing we get it past the liaison committee and so on. The clerk will circulate the proposed agenda and the timeframes and all of that right away.
Mr. Easter.
11:15 a.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
This is not on this subject, but I just want to make sure we do a notice of motion for the motion I tabled.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Yes, that's next on my list.
We have a notice of motion from Mr. Easter that will be discussed on Thursday. So be prepared for that, folks. You all have a copy of it in both official languages.
I guess that's it.
This meeting stands adjourned.