Evidence of meeting #32 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was students.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

James Knight  President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of Canadian Community Colleges
Nobina Robinson  Chief Executive Officer, Polytechnics Canada
Herb O'Heron  Director, Research and Policy Analysis Division, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
Ken Doyle  Director, Policy, Polytechnics Canada

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki

We'll certainly be sure to take you up on that.

We have a question from Ms. Hughes.

We'll just wait for a couple of minutes.

5:29 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki

Could our members make their way back to the table in order for us to conclude? I certainly appreciate the visiting that is going on, but we have a short question we want to deal with and then we can adjourn.

This is a subject that has created quite a lot of interest, I can see, and that's good.

Ms. Hughes, I understand you had one question. Perhaps you wanted to put it to the parliamentary secretary, if we could have the attention of the parliamentary secretary.

5:30 p.m.

NDP

Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

Yes, I only have one very quick question. What is the possibility and when can we anticipate having the ministers come before committee? Could we get them on separate days?

5:30 p.m.

Simcoe—Grey Ontario

Conservative

Kellie Leitch ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour

Are we in camera or not?

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki

We're not in camera. I don't propose to go in camera. It's a question posed to the parliamentary secretary, so maybe just a response in terms of having a look at—

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

Kellie Leitch Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

I've asked the minister's office for a response. I'm still waiting on it. As you may have noticed, Minister Finley has not been in the House for the last two weeks, so we're just waiting on a response from the minister's office. I have made the request.

5:30 p.m.

NDP

Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

Okay, perfect.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki

When you have that information, maybe you can share that with us.

5:30 p.m.

NDP

Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

This will be the Minister of Labour as well?

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

Kellie Leitch Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

Yes, we've asked both. They would come, probably, together in tandem representing the department together.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki

All right.

Is everybody okay with that? There is time for that to happen and we just want to be sure it does happen.

5:30 p.m.

NDP

Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

Just to reiterate, the preference would be to try to get them on different days, so that we can have more time with them.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

Kellie Leitch Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

I think the way the department would probably approach it is, depending upon the timeframe, that one would come for one half, and one would come for the other half.

To be quite frank, I don't think we'll end up spending two hours with the Minister of Labour.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki

Mr. Cuzner, you have a point?

5:30 p.m.

Liberal

Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

We'd like to see them separately as well. I'm saying “we”.

5:30 p.m.

A voice

The royal we.

5:30 p.m.

Liberal

Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

Yes.

We'd like to see them separately. We think there's an opportunity to have a televised hearing, so if we could do that, if we could accommodate a televised hearing with the ministers, that would be good.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Ed Komarnicki

Your request is noted. I know that we have had.... In my recollection, we've generally had both together for these meetings, but we'll see what the response brings and we'll go from there.

With that, we'll adjourn.