Foreign Affairs Committee on April 15th, 2008

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Just before Mr. Patry, I would like to ask a question to the mover of this motion.

In your motion, Madame Deschamps, you say that the standing committee calls on the Minister of Industry to stand by his decision, a decision made under the Investment Canada Act, but then you also add “not to allow the Canadian company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) to sell aerospace assets, including Radarsat-2...”.

So by your motion, are you saying that they shall not have the ability to ever sell any of their assets? This is much larger than just Radarsat, or any of the proposed sales that they have now. You've gone beyond that by saying that MDA not have the ability to sell their aerospace assets, including....

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

I think we are starting to exaggerate a bit.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

I would just like to respond to Mr. Lebel. Arrangements could have been made to hold another meeting, but the committee did not feel that this was necessary. We talked about it before. The steering committee agreed and no other meeting is planned to discuss Radarsat. There is a one-hour meeting planned for next Thursday, but there are no witnesses scheduled. Therefore, it is a moot point.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

You're speaking to what Mr.—

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

--always through you.

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Crowfoot, AB]

But I'm wondering about this “not...to sell aerospace assets, including...”.

Madame Deschamps.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Chairman, the motion calls on the Minister of Industry to stand by his decision. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the proposed sale of Radarsat assets by MDA to ATK. That is the issue here. We have discussed this matter and heard from witnesses. It matters little as to who is bound in this case. My motion calls on the Minister to stand by his decision. We support him and ask him to stand firm. Everyone knows what decision I am referring to here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

What was that?

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

We are asking him to stand by a decision that he has already made, not by a decision that he has yet to make.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

They will look silly if they vote against this motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Go ahead, Mr. Goldring.

[Peter Goldring, Conservative, Edmonton East, AB]

In the comment that you made, I think the important thing is that this motion does not describe what the minister has said and what he has decided. It just does not describe it at all, based on in particular the point that you made. The minister has not said that he cannot sell any of the aerospace assets; he hasn't said that at all. So the motion is in error.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

We have a motion, so call the question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

All right. We'll call the question.

(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Thank you very much, folks.

We are adjourned.