Evidence of meeting #26 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sgro.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

John R. McDougall  President, National Research Council of Canada
Jean Laporte  Chief Operating Officer, Transportation Safety Board of Canada

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Sweet

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Bonjour à tous. Welcome to the 26th meeting of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.

Madam Sgro.

3:35 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

I'll try to make this quick as I realize we have a limited amount of time.

I had two motions before the committee. I've asked the clerk to withdraw one.

I would like to move and ask for a vote on the request that the committee undertake a study to modernize and articulate the objectives and effectiveness of the Standards Council of Canada Act. It has been 15 years since that act has been reviewed.

I'd like to ask that we vote on this, and the committee can then deal with this in the fall when we come back, if that's appropriate.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Sweet

Madam Sgro, my understanding is that you need unanimous consent to withdraw a motion. Is that correct?

3:35 p.m.

A voice

No, because she hadn't moved it.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Sweet

Okay, so that's fine.

A motion has been moved that the committee undertake a study to modernize and articulate the objectives and effectiveness of the Standards Council of Canada Act.

Is there any discussion?

Mr. Braid.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Braid Conservative Kitchener—Waterloo, ON

Mr. Chair, could the clerk please explain when this motion was tabled?

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Sweet

When there was notice of motion?

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Braid Conservative Kitchener—Waterloo, ON

Yes.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Sweet

March 3.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Braid Conservative Kitchener—Waterloo, ON

Okay.

Is there any additional background on the purpose of the study?

3:35 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

I've spoken to a couple of people about the issue. It has been 15 years since that particular federal act has been reviewed or looked at seriously. I thought it might make a good project for us to do, with two or three meetings in the fall.

If we dealt with it today, then the department could be looking at it to be able to give us a presentation in the fall. It would take two or three meetings to do it.

I have had it sitting here for quite a while. I thought that since this is the end of the term, we should decide to do something with it, either vote for it or against it, so that we clear the deck. You never know who might be sitting around this table in September.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Braid Conservative Kitchener—Waterloo, ON

Yes.

I am only an occasional visitor at the industry, science and technology committee. Although Industry Canada oversees the work and the mandate of the Standards Council of Canada, to my knowledge there are no particularly compelling issues to deal with regarding the Standards Council of Canada.

I know that my colleague, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, was particularly concerned and interested in proceeding with the study before us today, and that the study be thorough and comprehensive. I struggle with understanding the compelling need for this particular study or motion, and having it interrupt this important study on pipeline technology, which has already unfortunately had some hiccups early on because of the hurly-burly nature of Parliament as we approach the end of the parliamentary session in June.

In addition, Mr. Chair, this sort of discussion would typically be done under the rubric of committee business.

We have witnesses before us who, as I understand, appeared at the most recent industry committee meeting, and that proceeding was interrupted. Now that we have the witnesses before us and we only have a short period of time with them and we're going to proceed right away to questions, we're further distracted by this particular motion and a discussion about it.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Sweet

Mr. Strahl.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC

Mr. Chair, I was just going to add to what my colleague was saying in that, as Ms. Sgro said, we don't really know who will be around the table, or whether or not the committee will want to take that up in the fall. Obviously there is only a possibility of this meeting and perhaps two more in this session of Parliament. While I'm not a regular member of the committee, I would think that you'd want to proceed with the study that you're currently undertaking, and if Ms. Sgro actually wants this to be studied, that she take it up with the committee in the fall.

Just looking at the witness list for today, which we aren't going to get to, if those witnesses are recalled, that's going to take you another meeting or two anyway.

I think the timing on this is wrong, and certainly I don't think that I can support this motion.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Sweet

Mr. Van Kesteren.

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON

Through you, Chair, I'm wondering if Ms. Sgro could explain to the committee what the intent was. I'm a new member to this committee. I remember years back when I served on industry, I think the work that we did with the Standards Council of Canada involved a study that revolved around the price of gas. I'm curious. What would be the objective? Why are we doing this? I'm not suggesting that the Standards Council doesn't have issues, but what issues is she most concerned with that she feels we as a committee need to study?

3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Sweet

I would usually open it up for a response, but Mr. Côté might have a similar question, so I'll let him go ahead first and then I'll have Madam Sgro respond.

3:40 p.m.

NDP

Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

A question occurred to me as I was reading the wording of the motion again. You or the clerk can confirm this for me, but, if I am not mistaken, the motion does not ask for the study to be conducted immediately. So there would be no time constraint.

I also wonder what the interest might be in undertaking this study right away, but I am not inherently opposed to it.

I listened to what Mr. Braid said. He mentioned interrupting the pipeline debate. It seems to me that the wording does not force us to undertake the study in question immediately and interrupt our other one.

Am I wrong?

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Sweet

As far as I'm concerned, but I'll let Madam Sgro respond to everything that's been said.

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

Mr. Chair, again, I don't want to take up a whole lot of time.

First, it's been tabled with the clerk since March 3. Second, it simply asks the committee to undertake a study at some time to look at the whole issue of modernization and articulation of the Standards Council of Canada Act.

It was brought to my attention that it has been 15 years since there's been a serious look at it. It makes sense. It's the kind of work we do here. I think all of us in our role on the industry committee get a variety of issues brought to our attention. It was brought to my attention. I thought it made sense.

I simply brought it forward today, given the fact that it's the end of this session, and thought that if this was the direction in which the government thought they wanted to go, we'd simply be able to support it and move it on. It's either remove it from the agenda by voting it down, if the government doesn't think that it's on their priority list and they have other things that they choose to do....

I simply wanted to clear that up for the clerk so that you don't continue to have a pile of motions sitting there for months at a time, and I had two that I wanted to remove from the clerk's responsibility.

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Sweet

Thank you, Madam Sgro.

Mr. Braid.

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Braid Conservative Kitchener—Waterloo, ON

I would respectfully provide two options through you, Mr. Chair, to Ms. Sgro.

Had I personally been aware of this motion, we could have perhaps had a more fulsome discussion about it, but at this particular point in time, I think it's fair to say that the government side won't be supporting this motion. We can either proceed with a vote if you wish and dispense with the issue, or defer discussion on this until the fall when the regular members of this committee are sitting in these chairs.

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

I would prefer, Mr. Chair, to dispose of the motion, if we could just vote on the motion today.

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Braid Conservative Kitchener—Waterloo, ON

Very good.

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

I may not be here in September.