Canadian Heritage Committee on May 16th, 2006

[Jim Abbott, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Would it possible for us to get a hard copy of that?

That's really quite convoluted, unfortunately.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

On the original motion, as you get down to the second last line, after “Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage," you delete everything after that and it be added: “and that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage be offered the opportunity to review and comment and offer modifications to the terms of reference of the CBC-SRC mandate review prior to the commencement of the review.”

[Jim Abbott, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Yes, that was my understanding.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Wasn't that being added to part of Mr. Abbott's...?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Mr. Angus.

[Jim Abbott, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

No, I withdrew it.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

So that's it? We're just going to see the terms of reference, but no comment afterwards?

[Jim Abbott, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

I think the point that Mr. Bélanger made was that he wants--and I understand, politically--to be able to throw stones. If he's involved in the review of the draft, it's more difficult. I understand that; it's part of the parliamentary process.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

We've heard the motion as amended. The vote is on the amended motion--

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Mr. Chair, are we going to include that the membership reflect that of this committee?

[An hon. member]

No.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

We're not going to include that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

No.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

And I thought we had replaced “task force” with “review process”.

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Is it possible for someone to type up that motion before we all vote on it? It would be much easier for all of us to make a decision if we could see it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Our resources are kind of short at this committee. We don't have a typewriter here.

[Maka Kotto, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Chairman, the motion concluded with the words: “[...] and that the Chair report this motion to the House of Commons.” I insist that...

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Absolutely. That was noted in our first report.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Are we prepared to vote on the amendment?

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[Jim Abbott, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Could you read the first part of the amended motion, please?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I think I can, as follows:

That the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage ask the Minister of Heritage, before committing herself in the review of the SRC-CBC mandate, to comply with the motion that she herself had adopted during the 38th Parliament, the last paragraph of which reads: “That the government, when establishing this independent task force, do so under the advisement of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage”; and that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage be offered the opportunity to review and comment and offer modifications to the terms of reference of the CBC-SRC mandate review prior to the commencement of the review; and that the chair report this motion to the House of Commons.

Yes, Mr. Malo.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

There's a slight problem. The reference is to the motion that the Minister of Heritage “herself had adopted during the 38th Parliament.” That's no longer the case, given that what appears in parenthesis is Mr. Bélanger's proposed wording.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Should that be removed, then? Because it is redundant.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Chair, should there be any reference to that previous motion from the 38th Parliament? Should it not just flow as a motion from this committee?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Let's try this one: that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage ask the Minster of Heritage, before committing herself in the review of the SRC-CBC mandate, to comply with the motion.... No, we want to take that out of there.