Evidence of meeting #36 for Public Safety and National Security in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was goods.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON
Yes. I believe we need to look at this, and the motion is rather specific in the area we need to look at.
In recent weeks and days we've seen some other issues that are shaking the public's confidence in the most senior police force in our dominion, and we must do everything we can to make sure that we maintain that police force's highest standards and maintain the reliability that the people we serve need to have in that organization.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Okay.
No other comments? Nobody is opposed?
(Motion agreed to)
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Sue Barnes Liberal London West, ON
Can we talk about timing on this? I think that should be there.
Mr. Chair, I just want to raise with you that we have the problem again with another private member's bill that has been addressed to this committee with a very close deadline. I was approached yesterday in the House by the promoter of that private member's bill, who said, “Why don't you just bump it down 30 days?” We still have the same problem procedurally, that the Standing Orders of the House say that it's deemed, so we can't do that.
I would like to hear from Mr. MacKenzie because I would like to rapidly get to this investigation. I would also like to be able to do a very quick report on what we've just heard in the last two days. I think we have sufficient information on a unanimous basis to get that file moving, and there are very good recommendations in the material we saw today. We could have a meeting for that, but, bottom line, if we're going to examine that private member's bill and not have it deemed approved, then we have to figure out how we're going with that, because there's very little time.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
Yes, Mr. Chair.
I did hand a request to the clerk of the committee for a notice of motion that will not come back until the Tuesday after the break, because there has to be 48 hours' notice. In that notice of motion we're asking for an extension of 30 days.
However, I do believe that the author of that particular bill will be here on that date to indicate to the committee where that is going. I don't think the committee needs to spend time on it at that point between now and.... The date due to report back is May 1, and I believe on the Tuesday when we come back he will have a resolution to his bill that won't take this committee any time.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Where is that resolution going to be made? In the House or...?
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
--to come to the committee. So if we could, can we schedule him for five minutes on the Tuesday when we come back to properly inform the committee of where the bill is going and what's going to happen to it? We're not going to have to deal with it is what I'm saying.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
The matter has some issues across jurisdictional boundaries, and the government has been working with it, but they have not resolved them. He will be here to explain, and it will not take him very long, so we don't need to schedule any more than five minutes on the first Tuesday we come back.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Sue Barnes Liberal London West, ON
I'm quite willing to have him come, but I want to warn you that if the motion is for an extension of time, it's not going to help us, and that's not going to be accepted. I also want to say it's getting to be a bit of a habit, because it's not only in this committee but others. It's the will of Parliament to bring a bill here, so even if the proponent of the bill wants to do something about it, the rest of us have a say in that too in all parties around the House.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
That's why he will be here to tell the committee what's happening with it.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
We can deal with that first thing and then move to.... I guess I'm looking for some direction from Mr. Cullen as to whether he would be in a position then that we could move to give directions on the report on the counterfeiting issue and spend the rest of that meeting on that. I'd like to know if he's going to be ready, because we're looking to him for direction as to what frame or form the report would take.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Roy Cullen Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Yes.
Mr. Chairman, coming back to the counterfeiting of goods, we have enough information to draft up a report.
What I can suggest is that we could have the researcher put together a draft table of contents. Certainly I would undertake to submit my recommendations on how to structure the report or what ideas we might want to look at, and if everyone does that, the researcher can come out with different options. I'm quite happy to take the lead on that. I was the one who asked to bring it here, and I've had some exposure to it. I'd be happy to share my thoughts with the researcher and perhaps the government side as well and the other members. But if we wait and have a brainstorming session, that would be clearly another two to three weeks at least, and maybe never. I'd be happy to get on with this, if we can.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
The suggestion is this. Next Tuesday, can the researchers prepare for us a summary of the evidence or some recommendations? We can then take it from there.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
Well, I think we need to deal with the researchers on this, but I'm not sure. We're now heading into the two-week break. Are you suggesting that we get those recommendations to the researchers during the two-week period?
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Roy Cullen Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Yes, that's what I'd like to see. When we come back, at least we'd have a draft report or a draft report with some options that we can consider, and we can get on with it.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
I guess I'd like to hear from the researchers. When would they need the material in order to get it back to us?
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
I'm sure some of them are going to be taking a break as well.