Evidence of meeting #2 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was budget.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
We'll call the meeting to order.
I have a question for the committee. We can listen to one of the witnesses at a time or we can get two presentations first and then do the round of questioning, which I would recommend. What is your pleasure?
4 p.m.
Bloc
Paul Crête Bloc Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
On a point of order, Mr. Chairman, I believe that we should carry the motion, in open session, that we carried in camera. Otherwise, no one will know that—
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
I just talked to the clerk about that.
Perhaps you could inform the committee of the details of that.
4 p.m.
Richard Rumas Procedural Clerk
The decisions of the committee will be published in the minutes of the meeting. The only thing that is not there is the movers of motions and any votes that may have taken place.
They're public.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
On a point of order, Mr. Chairman, I thought we agreed in camera that once we were not in camera we would take a vote on the budget we passed. We just voted for a budget of $179,393 of Canadian taxpayers' money that I still feel is not justified. I would like that vote recorded because that's what we had agreed upon in camera.
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
The clerk has indicated he has already decided that this meeting is in public. That opposition is recorded as your opposition to it. I think that accomplishes what you're trying to do, but we can't go back and re-vote on it, is what the clerk is telling me.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Okay, but that's not what we had agreed on.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Garth Turner Liberal Halton, ON
On a point of order, Mr. Chairman, it's impossible for us now to proceed, knowing exactly what we'll be discussing next week, when we'll be discussing it, in order for us to make determinations about witnesses. Many of them have been contacted. They are waiting for some instruction from the committee as to when they should be coming here to appear and make their travel plans. When we're dealing with people in positions of considerable influence in our society and in our corporate world, it is very difficult for them to understand why they wouldn't at least get some notice.
It is now Thursday afternoon. If we're going to be having meetings on Tuesday, what is the subject of our meeting on Tuesday? Is it going to be a pre-budget submission? Is it going to be the impact of the high dollar?
We have to have some determination of what's going on in the meetings next week and the week following for us to make some determination as to who is actually going to come here. We just run roughshod over this.
I know you're in a big hurry here, but you just have to slow down, Mr. Chairman, so we can understand exactly what we're doing so that we, this committee, can reach out and have some credibility with the wider corporate community.
It is completely essential that we know now what we're doing in at least the meetings coming up next week. Are we dealing with pre-budget submissions? Are we dealing with the high dollar? Are we going to have the opportunity to get back to witnesses whom many of us have talked to, based upon the motion that we thought was passed in the last meeting, that there be x number of meetings coming forward within the next two weeks for us to discuss the impact of the high dollar on Canadian society? Can you please clarify?
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Let me help you out, Mr. Turner, and the rest of the committee.
My sense of the motion, in interpreting the motion, was that we wanted to do as thorough an investigation on pre-budget consultation as well as on the impact of the dollar on the economy of Canada. That was the intent of the motion, and it will all be part of the pre-budget consultation. We hope that every witness who comes forward will be able to speak on both of those issues and will be prepared to do so. We're hoping that will happen. That's what we hope will happen, and we'll indicate to those who are coming forward on those pre-budget consultations to make that happen. That is how I'd interpret the motion. If I'm wrong on that, please let me know.
Go ahead, Paul.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Paul Crête Bloc Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
I would just like to remind you that the motion we passed provides that, in the week of November 19, there will be three meetings dealing with the impact of the high Canadian dollar on the economy and that, in the week of November 26, there will be three additional meetings dealing with other aspects of the pre-budget consultations. That is what was decided. Now, it is up to each of us to provide the Clerk with a list of witnesses that we believe to be relevant, so that we can contact these witnesses, retain the ones that are available and make arrangements accordingly.
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
I concur with that as a way to move ahead. You can now submit your witnesses to the clerk with regard to those, and we'll try to accommodate as many as we possibly can. Is that fair?
4 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
That is fair. The only piece I would add to that is we had agreed that Tuesday and Thursday, our normal meeting days, would be used. We also added two additional hearing dates that we didn't set dates or times for. So, through you, Chair, and obviously to the clerk, we would obviously need to determine an extra day next week and an extra day the following week. We didn't specify as to what that day would be, so that needs to be determined as well.
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
Maybe we should deal with that so everybody is absolutely clear. Do you want to work on Monday or on Wednesday afternoon? I think those are our two options for next week.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Garth Turner Liberal Halton, ON
It depends on our witnesses. It is Thursday afternoon now, so for us to get people to come here who are worth listening to, it's going to take a little more than one working day's notice. That's why we were hoping that in the portion of the meeting we've just finished we could have thrashed out some of this so we'd have some clarity now going forward.
4 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
We actually have the dates and what we're going to be talking about on those dates, so now the question is whether we have enough time to get them here. We're going to ask the clerks to do the very best they can in doing that. If you have some submissions to make with regard to that, I encourage you to do that with the clerk.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Garth Turner Liberal Halton, ON
I encourage you to let members finish their sentences before you interrupt, because the last thing I heard you ask was if we're going to have a meeting on Monday or Wednesday. If we're having a meeting on Monday, then it's virtually impossible to have expert witnesses here, because it's now Thursday afternoon.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
I suggest that it be later in the week, but that is a determination that we are asking for clarification on because of the number of dates we have asked for.
The suggestion is for Wednesday as usual. Can I get a consensus from the group?
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
I have a point of order, Mr. Chairman. I would simply like to get some indication from you. In the original motion, it was also planned that we hear from Mr. Carney. However, through the media, he made it known that he had other fish to fry, as opposed to answering a unanimous request from parliamentarians to meet with him. I would like to know whether the Committee is still interested in meeting with him. I can tell you that, in our case, we are still interested in such a meeting. If that is the case, can we set aside some time for that to happen within the schedule? I see that my government colleagues tend to agree. I simply want to know whether or not there is a consensus around the table in that regard.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
As I said earlier in the in camera session, we hope to get him here. We asked him to come today but he's out of the country. We hope to get him here on a date that will work before we rise for Christmas. Perhaps next week will work in that timing. I can't answer that because I don't have that answer. All we have done is put the request in, and we hope it will be complied with.
I want a consensus on Wednesday first.
Mr. McCallum.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
In light of the time it would be ridiculous to say Monday, for reasons that have been given. So I totally agree that we say Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. But I want to clarify that I believe the motion stated that those three days next week would be devoted exclusively to consideration of the high dollar and the impact on the economy. Is everybody in agreement with that?
I'm not being argumentative; I'm just trying to get to the bottom of it.
So then we assume there will be meetings from 3:30 to 6:30.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
They will be on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:30 to 6:30, exclusively on the high dollar and its impact on the economy. We submit names of people to that end. Is that right?
4:05 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed