Transport Committee on Nov. 27th, 2014

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

I'm sorry. I didn't know we had one more questioner. We can make sure that we have time for the point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

We'll go to your point of order.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

The point of order, Mr. Chair, is this. The directive from the minister, which launched this study, required us to have a report by December of 2014. It's becoming clear to us, those of us on this side of the table anyway, that it's very unlikely that we're going to have a report done by the end of 2014. Are we seeking a new mandate from the minister in order to do that? Or are we going to continue to meet outside of the times that are scheduled in order to finish this project by the end of December?

On this side of the table, we are quite willing to continue to meet in whatever timeframes we need in order to finish it, but Mr. Watson is quick to point out the directive from the minister every time one of us strays from that directive. We do have the directive, and I think we deserve to meet that directive.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

That's fair enough.

If the committee wants to ask for a new directive, of course I'll take their direction. That's not my decision; it's yours, all of you combined. What I'm working towards is having all the witnesses who are appearing on this study appear before the committee prior to us breaking for Christmas. It would give the analysts time to write the report over the break. In my mind, clause-by-clause with the report would be the first order of business when we come back.

Does that answer your question?

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

That means January, not December, I guess.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Well, yes. Do you really want to get into the details on the committee stuff? We're almost out of here.

Mr. McGuinty, you had your hand up.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Just on that note, in terms of timing, are we going to examine the estimates in committee?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

That's up to the committee.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Is there a reason why we haven't moved...? I thought the NDP brought a motion to this effect.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I spoke to him during the meeting, but I'll let Mr. Mai speak to that.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

I want to speak to Mr. Sullivan's point of order. I don't know where—

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

You have the right to respond to that.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

In terms of the timing and whether or not to seek a new mandate, I have a question. It's probably a question for the clerk. Is the December deadline, if you will, a hard deadline in that it has to be in? Or if the report is finalized in January or the beginning of February, let's say, is that acceptable? From a procedural sense, do we have to seek a new mandate letter to fulfill the directive? That would direct our actions at that point.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

In the clerk's words, it's a self-imposed deadline. Like I said, I'm open. I'm not making that decision. That direction has to come from the committee collectively. We'll take it from there.

With the way it stands now it's obvious that we're not going to have the report tabled first prior to breaking.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Do we then need a motion to the effect of completing the study when it does? Or do we continue to execute the work plan that was agreed on and move in that sense and when it times out it times out?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

It's an option. You can do it either way.

Ms. Morin.

[Isabelle Morin, NDP, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

In her letter, the minister asked that the study be done before December 2014. In my riding, we have CN, CP, the seaway, an airport and highways. My constituents ask me about this often because they are concerned.

We all remember what brought on this study. As my colleague said, we would agree to have more than two committee meetings a week if we had to. In my view, the study must be completed by the end of 2014. That is our minister's request.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Ms. Morin, all I can say is that if you are so willing to sit now I'm not sure why the NDP were playing games with committee stuff a little earlier.

[Isabelle Morin, NDP, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

We had the right to hold committee meetings.

Mr. Chair, you could have called meetings of the committee whenever you wanted.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I'd like to thank our witnesses for being here today.

Thank you very much.

It's adjournment time. I know all of us have meetings. If you have something that you want to bring up at the next meeting—

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Chair, we need to follow up with the officials before they leave to make sure that our clerk is in a good position to retrieve the analysis and the information that's forthcoming from the department.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I think you've asked for that.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Can you follow up with that?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Of course.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Great.

Thank you very much.