Evidence of meeting #49 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was federal.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
I am, sir.
That said, it sounded like your discretion was in relation to the reporting, not necessarily the date and time. I want to make sure that the commas and punctuation are in the right place.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
Right; the discretion is that if I can switch the meetings, I'll do that.
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
The discretion is whether we meet at 11 or 3:30, not whether we report.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
5:25 p.m.
Some hon. members
No.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
Okay.
I'm sensing that the amendment is acceptable, but we do need to vote on it.
(Amendment agreed to)
(Motion as amended agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
That takes care of one order of business.
We do have some committee business with regard to motions.
I will advise the committee that because of the timeframe, any amendments to Bill C-511 that anyone is interested in proposing, either as an individual or as a political party, must be submitted to the clerk of the committee 48 hours prior to the clause-by-clause consideration. I'm suggesting that day would be the Thursday before, to give our staff two working days to deal with the amendments.
Is everybody comfortable with that?
I actually need a motion on that, just to have it on the record. Can I have a mover on that?
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
I thank you for that.
We do have some motions that are before us--
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
5:25 p.m.
Liberal
Gerry Byrne Liberal Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
This is with regard to some business arising out of the meeting on February 15. I had stated an interest in a study or a review of the statutory and operational framework of Marine Atlantic Incorporated, which is a federal crown corporation. At the time, the parliamentary secretary volunteered that requests for either information or documents made by any member of the committee, including me, regarding the issue would be welcomed and would be handled by the minister and the department and the crown corporation with urgent priority.
The parliamentary secretary seemed to suggest that the department would be so anxious to fulfill the request for a number of reasons, but in particular that by so fulfilling the request my concerns and curiosities would be satisfied that the corporation was being well managed, and there was no need for any further study.
So what I'd like to do, because I raised this issue at committee, is let my fellow committee members know the following.
Brian, I'll be presenting you with a letter that I'd like you to convey to the minister's department and to Marine Atlantic Incorporated. It's a fairly extensive list of information that I'm requesting, but it should be fairly easy to compile.
Rather than communicate that information to the committee at large, I had discussions with members of the Bloc Québécois, and because of the translation requirements, I think it would be agreed and fair that if you just conveyed that information to me, it would be a private communication between the minister's office and me. I would be prepared to share that information with any member who so desired.
If I can get that information quickly, then I won't be presenting a motion before the committee to pursue the issue of Marine Atlantic further. If I can't get that information quickly, then I will indeed pursue the matter with a formal motion.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Mr. Chair, I'm more than happy to do that. I just....
No disrespect, Mr. Byrne, but I don't feel comfortable in relation to the translation and giving it to one member of the committee. I had made an arrangement with Mr. Laframboise some time ago, and I keep my word. I know he's not here any more, but I told him that I would never do that, and I keep my word.
I would ask that instead you just send the letter to the minister's office and they will take care of it directly. It's just that if it comes through me, I would feel obliged to follow my promise to Mr. Laframbroise, and I can't break that promise. I promised that the French and English issue would never be an issue for our committee, and I have to keep that.
5:30 p.m.
Liberal
Gerry Byrne Liberal Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL
Fair enough.
I've had discussions with the critic for the Bloc Québécois. The arrangement that I am following, instead of going through the committee, was acceptable to him.
With that said--
5:30 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
You will get the same attention, I promise. If you send me a copy of the letter, and it's not through the committee, I'll get it to the minister and I'll get that information. I'll keep on them and you can ask me any time you want. I'll make sure that information is forthcoming as soon as possible in English. But it will be to the minister instead of to the committee. Okay?
5:30 p.m.
Bloc
Louis Plamondon Bloc Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, QC
Just to let you know that Mr. Laframboise is no longer responsible for this committee, it is now Mr. Guimond.
5:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
The previous agreement was that we wouldn't transfer any documents without them being officially translated. I think if you're going to do that letter.... I understand what you're doing. If you do that, then we're good?
Monsieur Gaudet.
I'm very limited for time.
Mr. McCallum, a final comment?
5:30 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
I just wanted to give notice that at the next meeting I'm likely to bring a motion that we spend one meeting to look into a labour dispute involving limousine drivers to Pearson airport, who I'm told operate in what might be described as feudal conditions.
