Evidence of meeting #19 for Status of Women in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Margaret Biggs  President, Canadian International Development Agency

5:20 p.m.

Conservative

Alice Wong Conservative Richmond, BC

What if, for whatever reason, the travel does not happen? Does that mean we cancel and scrap the whole study?

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

Ms. Wong, I will explain. We have two friendly amendments. They were accepted by the mover of the motion. I will now, therefore, propose the amended motion for this committee to vote on, one way or the other.

So the amended motion says that we expand the list made by Ms. Boucher here on the people we would invite. So under the second paragraph, we expand that list. Then we also talk about travel. We say that “the study take into consideration the historical situation for women in Afghanistan under the Taliban; the work being done...”, etc., and there we will add “and travel to that country”.

Those are the two amendments to the motion, accepted by the mover, and now I will ask that this committee vote on the motion. Those in favour? Those opposed?

(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

The motion passes. Thank you.

I would like to move on, then, to some of the work we have to do here. I'll have a quick recess with the clerk.

I want the committee to know a couple of things. We have cancelled part of our trip. We were supposed to leave on May 30 to go to Resolute Bay. We cannot get anyone to meet with us in Resolute Bay. Because the community is that small, most people are very concerned that it will be noticed that they came to meet with us.

In order to change from Resolute Bay to Rankin Inlet, we would have had to go back to the committee, which we could not have done, because last week was a week off. So what we can do is add Rankin Inlet when we do further travel. We'd add it to the committee and we would just go to Rankin Inlet in that leg of the travel. So the travel will start on May 31, instead of May 30. We will fly out on the Monday and then we go to the other places, without Resolute Bay involved.

The next thing we have to talk about is for you to okay our bringing some witnesses when we go to Labrador. It's a very long, thin province, and it has a lot of people living in very remote areas who have to come down. I just need you to okay $38,000 for the travel of certain witnesses who have to come down to meet us in Labrador. Do I have an okay on that?

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB

You have people coming from Winnipeg on this--

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

No, no. I don't know why that was given to you. The computer, to look at how it generates witnesses, apparently needs to have towns thrown in. It is not relevant. We just need people. For the number of witnesses who are coming down to Labrador, we will need $38,000 to bring them in.

5:20 p.m.

Conservative

Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

I'm just quite stunned by the cost of witnesses in Labrador. That's one community only at $38,000...?

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

It is very expensive when you travel in that part of the world. That's a problem. This is for witnesses to come to meet with us when we're in Labrador. This is for a lot of other witnesses we'll be meeting, too, as we travel on that leg.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

So it's all our...? Phew. Thank you.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

Thank you.

So do I get an okay on this? Actually, witnesses cost a great deal if we bring them in.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

I was thinking it was for that one location, so thank you for the clarification.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

So that's it. Do I get an okay on this? I haven't had a vote. Does everyone agree to that travel cost?

5:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

Thank you.

Finally, I think that's all we need to do today, so if anyone wants to entertain a motion to adjourn.... Yes? Thank you. We have a motion to adjourn.

We will be back after the vote to this very same room. There will be dinner served here, at the meeting. It is unfortunate, as I mentioned earlier on, that we will not have the minister who was key to this coming to this funding meeting; we only found out about three days ago that the minister cannot come. We got that on the weekend. It was very difficult for us to change this, given--

Excuse me. Order. There is a tendency when the chair is speaking for people to carry on conversations. I would appreciate it if we could at least pay attention during this part of the meeting.

Thank you very much, Madame Boucher. Okay.

Tonight we are going to be meeting only with witnesses. We will not have the benefit of the minister's ability to explain some of her funding cuts; it would have been a good opportunity for her to do so.

We will now adjourn. We'll see you back here after the vote.

The meeting is adjourned.