Evidence of meeting #18 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was night.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
Absolutely.
Okay, with everyone's approval then, I will submit this to the committee.
Mr. Julian.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Just to clarify, Mr. Chair, the expenses are for the witness list that we went through and approved prior to the Thanksgiving break. So all of those witnesses would be included either through teleconferencing, videoconferencing, or actually coming before our committee?
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
Absolutely. And we've estimated on the high side, with the idea that if we can arrange it through teleconferencing, then we will save the committee that much more. This will be a budget that we won't exceed; we should come in well under.
Mr. Bell.
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
Don Bell Liberal North Vancouver, BC
Do I understand that two of the five Vancouver-Victoria witnesses have already been accommodated by this teleconference?
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
Don Bell Liberal North Vancouver, BC
So we've just saved $6,400, minus whatever the teleconference was?
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
And with the nod of your head, I'll make sure this goes through.
I want to just advise the committee that we have a motion that's been brought forward that we will debate on Thursday. I'll ask Mr. Julian if he'd like to speak to it briefly or....
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Before I do, Mr. Chair, I'd like to come back to the issue of the budget. We did have two witnesses, Ms. Fisher and Mr. Allen, who very gracefully acceded to participating by phone conference--it's not the ideal way to have witnesses from British Columbia brought in. British Columbia, traditionally, is disadvantaged by its remoteness from Ottawa. I would like to stress for other witnesses that we ensure they're given the best possible opportunity to be witnesses and not discouraged from coming to Ottawa, if that's their preference.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
Thank you very much.
Again, for information, we do have a motion coming forward on Thursday. Do you want to speak briefly to it, Mr. Julian?
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
I will speak briefly to it. It's involving an issue that has come up before at Transport, the issue of the Toronto Port Authority. A report has now been completed, so the motion itself would ask for this committee to look at the report and receive copies of the report, and it is both from me and an associate member of this committee, Ms. Chow, from Trinity—Spadina. We have circulated it to the clerk. I believe it's going to all offices this afternoon, satisfying the 48-hour notice requirement. I would ask for time on Thursday to discuss that motion.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
You will receive that. I'm sure it will be e-mailed to you after the end of this meeting, and we will allocate some time at the end of the meeting, again, on Thursday for discussion.
With that, no further questions?
The meeting is adjourned.