Agriculture Committee on March 22nd, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Can I make a suggestion here? I don't know whether we have a photocopy available here, but I'm just wondering, Frank, if we can move on to the other motion while you get this one drafted fully. For whatever reason, they just don't have it here. There's quite a bit to add to it, almost as much as the original motion, or half as much.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

No, no. I think we're making more out of this that it actually is.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay, then, I'll do it this way. Is there any issue with what he's added?

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

I'm giving more latitude. It's always been intended that the Government of Canada would have the latitude to discuss with the stakeholders--those are the farmers and the railway company--what's in the best interest of all concerned. That's all concerned.

I mean, we needn't re-hash all the arguments back and forth. While we are in a new session, our memory didn't prorogue itself, and we know what the argument.... The point is we know what the issues are and what the debate is here. These farmers came before us indicating a deep concern about their shunt lines being shut down, and frankly what I perceive to be a certain degree of arrogance on the part of the railway lines, or at least indifference to the needs of farmers at the time. The reason for the wording in the motion was not only to make sure that it's investigated, but that the latitude be given to the government to determine what's in the best interest of the farmers. The farmers know it's being investigated, and the railway lines know that they're not necessarily being targeted.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay.

I have some new information here for everybody. The original motion was exactly how you read it just now, Frank, but what the clerk received on the tenth ended where I said, so when you re-sent it.... But just for the committee's knowledge on this motion as Mr. Valeriote just read it, we did approve and pass this at committee on December 8.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

As I read it?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Yes, as you just read it. So we did pass this, and prorogation made it moot.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

No. If it passes, it passes. It's been dealt with.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Yes. I don't have an issue with it, but why do we pass it twice?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Because the government just sat on their hands.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Wayne, give us a break.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

In fact the minister provided poor information to us.

[An hon. member]

Wayne, you are so partisan.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

I'm not partisan. I'm just telling you the facts; the trouble is, you don't want to hear them.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Just for clarification in my own mind, the spirit of this isn't to say yes or no to whether we should keep these shunt lines. The spirit is to create a process on how these shunt lines should be dealt with. Is that correct?

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Exactly.

[An hon. member]

No problem.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I have no problem with that, then.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay. Because of the timing, I didn't get a chance to actually get a letter out on behalf of the committee with this. That never got done. I mean, I guess--

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I'd like Mr. Easter to apologize, then, for saying that the minister sat on his hands. It's actually you who sat on your hands.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Anyway, I guess there's no harm in repassing it, but at the same time, we probably don't have to as long as I have a general consensus here to write a letter on behalf of the committee and send it out.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Mr. Chairman, I'll move the amendment as Mr. Valeriote just stated. That way, you don't need unanimous consent. And then I would recommend that we just go ahead and vote on this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay, I'm going to call it.

All in favour of the motion?

Mr. Easter?

[An hon. member]

He's going to lose it for you, Francis.