Government Operations Committee on May 26th, 2009

Evidence of meeting #23 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was billion.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Main Estimates 2009-2010: Votes 95, 100, 105 and 110 under CANADIAN HERITAGE, Vote 1 under GOVERNOR GENERAL, Vote 1 under PARLIAMENT, Votes 1, 5, 10 and 25 under PRIVY COUNCIL, Votes 1 and 5 under PUBLIC WORKS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES, Votes 1, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 55 under TREASURY BOARD

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Alister Smith Assistant Secretary, Expenditure Management Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat

1 p.m.

Conservative

Vic Toews Conservative Provencher, MB

The money is being spent.

1 p.m.

Liberal

Martha Hall Findlay Liberal Willowdale, ON

We're still looking for the numbers, but thank you.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

Thank you, colleagues.

Thank you, Minister and staff.

We now stand adjourned until Thursday.

I'm sorry, we'll go back on record as Mr. Gourde wants to state something.

Go ahead, Mr. Gourde.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC

I would like to address an issue that the committee is studying. Yesterday, the Minister of Public Works and Government Services tabled a proposal intended to change the user fees for the Esquimalt dry dock. On May 14, some senators, opposition critics and members from Vancouver Island were invited to participate in a briefing. Ms. Denise Savoie, Mr. Keith Martin and Ms. Bourgeois participated in this meeting, and at that time, they fully supported the proposal.

Mr. Lunney, Mr. Duncan, Ms. Hall Findlay and Minister Lunn wrote to the minister's office to express their wholehearted support for the proposal. As a result, I am pleased to say that we have received the support of all parties on this proposal. If committee members are interested in learning more about this issue, we would be pleased to send them copies of documents that were distributed during the briefing.

Mr. Chairman, I would like the committee to vote in favour of the proposal to change the user fees as soon as possible, before the end of this parliamentary session. If committee members have questions or want to ask questions of officials from Public Works and Government Services Canada, I would urge them to do so as soon as possible. If committee members do not need to meet with departmental officials, I move that we vote on the issue on Thursday, and if there are any questions from members of the committee, the minister's office would be pleased to answer them as quickly as possible before Thursday's meeting.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Derek Lee

Thank you, Mr. Gourde.

Could I ask that you make that statement available to members? We can't do any further business here today, but we'll recognize you as we start up on Thursday.

I'm going to gavel down as an adjournment, and we'll deal with this on Thursday.

Thank you.