Evidence of meeting #23 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was pumps.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Thank you, Mr. Masse.
That will be it for today.
I would ask members of this committee, if they do have draft amendments to move on Thursday's clause-by-clause review of this bill, that they send them to the legislative clerk so that they can be translated into both official languages and so that the clerk can ensure that they are in order.
Mr. McTeague.
10:55 a.m.
Liberal
Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
Chair, thank you for this.
In light of what we have not heard up till now, we are very uncomfortable with providing a blank cheque to this bill. We think that going to clause-by-clause would be premature. We have no idea what the impacts are going to be with respect to retailers and consumers. I'm not even clear as to whether Measurement Canada should be back here to explain the $20 million extrapolation that is being cited by the parliamentary secretary, and ostensibly in other documents that are being provided.
The witnesses, the few who we have had, have talked about the need for a proper empirical study. I may be able to get around that, but I think we need to examine the details that may be in the draft regulations, and we are not prepared to accept or to provide amendments at this point.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
10:55 a.m.
Bloc
Robert Bouchard Bloc Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
My comment has precisely to do with that. I think that before we move to clause-by-clause consideration of this bill, it would be interesting to hear from Industry Canada representatives about this potential overlap. I would not want to see us pass a bill that would force retailers to deal with two laws, one that applies to Quebec and one that has to do with Industry Canada. I think it is important to obtain some information from Industry Canada on the way in which Bill C-14 would apply, given current regulations already in existence in Quebec.
10:55 a.m.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As you know, I voted, and my party did, against this bill because of the lack of information provided from the original position, and I agree with my colleagues on that.
As well, too, I think we have to deal at this committee at some point in time with the fact that Bill S-5 has been tabled in the House of Commons, or an approach has been made there. That's with regard to opening up the automotive market to Mexican vehicles and having, basically, preferred access to our market for used vehicles. We have had no process because it's been a Senate bill.
Thank you.
10:55 a.m.
Liberal
Dan McTeague Liberal Pickering—Scarborough East, ON
Chair, on the point I made earlier, it might be easier to have Measurement Canada just send a letter to the committee, to yourself, explaining how that extrapolation of $20 million came about.
Thank you.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
What members are telling me, then, is that you don't want to go to clause-by-clause on Thursday.
10:55 a.m.
An hon. member
No.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Okay. It's going to be difficult for us to get further witnesses on Thursday from Measurement Canada, but we will endeavour to do that.
We also need to be aware that we need to get through all this legislation. We have about six or seven bills in front of us now. I just received notice from the clerk that we received yet another piece of legislation. We just can't keep backing these things up.
I take your point. We won't go to clause-by-clause on Thursday. We'll ask Measurement Canada, Industry Canada, officials to appear to further explain the bill, but when we get back in September, we need to get through these pieces of legislation. We can't rag the puck on this. We've already asked for an extension on two other pieces of legislation. We need to get through this stuff expeditiously. If you don't like the legislation, you can amend it or defeat it at committee. But we need to make decisions on this; we just can't keep delaying.
Mr. Lake.
11 a.m.
Conservative
Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB
I was just going to make the point that we have some important private members' business to discuss. I know there is Anthony Rota's private member's bill. We have private members' bills from each of the other two parties regarding Nortel pensions and regarding the Competition Act, actually, as it relates to, particularly, the price of gas. These are things that we have to get to. As we delay this, we delay those.
We'll ask the Measurement Canada officials if they can come before committee on Thursday to answer some of the questions we have, with the hope that with the first committee meeting back in the fall we can go to clause-by-clause.
11 a.m.
Conservative