Evidence of meeting #37 for Veterans Affairs in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was report.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Anders
Order.
We're doing selection of witnesses with regard to Bill C-287, which is Mr. St. Denis' bill.
Mr. St. Denis, I'll let you lead off.
9:05 a.m.
Liberal
Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
Chair, I don't have any strong feelings that we need to have a long list of witnesses. I think shorter would accomplish just as much.
I appreciate the suggestion, and Gilles can speak to it, about the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association. They have Ottawa staff, I think. Tom Hoppe is here. I think it would be appropriate to ask them.
Initially I thought maybe Canadian Heritage, but it seems they really don't have opinions on it. They will only be involved with the half-masting of the Peace Tower flag if Parliament deems to create a non-vacation heritage day for recognizing peacekeepers.
Apart from the peacekeeping veterans and the Legion, I don't really have strong feelings about anybody else. I'll leave it to the committee.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
I'm wondering, Brent, one of the things we found in going through our other discussions on the ombudsman, and certainly in our bill of rights discussions, is that if we don't invite—I mean, there's the Legion, but there are the other associations involved with it. I see they've been included here. I don't think your intent is that we spend four or five meetings on this; I think it's to actually move ahead.
9:05 a.m.
Liberal
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
Why don't we set a date and put out to the organizations that they are invited? We'd lock it in for that day, and if they all come, we'll allocate them a certain amount of time. That way they're included.
9:05 a.m.
Bloc
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
We're plugged in and ready to go. We don't want to miss a word you say.
9:05 a.m.
Bloc
Gilles-A. Perron Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Mr. Chairman, I might have a compromise for the issue under discussion. I think that we should hear from the Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping, because they are the blue berets. We should probably also have Mr. Chadderton, from the National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada. He is the link between all those associations. We would satisfy Bev by inviting Mr. Chadderton, because she thinks they should all appear. I think that all of us, including myself, want to act as fairly as possible and as quickly as possible, without spending a lot of time and several meetings on this. I think that one meeting is required.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Betty Hinton Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
I agree with both of my colleagues. I think the invitation has to go forward to the group of witnesses we have listed here. If they're able to make it, that's wonderful. If they're not, I think Mr. Chadderton will make a pretty fine representative of all of the groups. I think we owe them the courtesy of inviting them so they have an opportunity to speak if they so choose. If we end up with two witnesses, then so be it, but at least we've extended the invitations.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
David Sweet Conservative Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON
With the kind of input that we've been experiencing, Mr. Chairman, I think we should send a broad invitation to make sure the consultation is broad. As Ms. Hinton just said, if two show up, at least we've extended the invitation, and particularly to the identified peacekeeping organizations.
Actually, I can see reasons why all of the ones I have looked at need to be invited. There are more current vets. There are older vets. I just think it would be better for the list that we have here.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
I think that's a fair discussion. It's like an auction—here's the day that we're doing this. If they come, great. If they can't, I think we should invite them to send a letter or a note, so they will have a chance to participate even in absentia.
9:10 a.m.
Bloc
Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC
I have a brief question. Would you invite them all to the same meeting?
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Anders
Potentially, the first panel would be invited for Tuesday, and the second panel would be invited for Thursday next week. I sense that we are keen or that we have an understanding that we want to invite the first panel. So far I'm not sensing that we are keen to invite the second panel. I don't know. I would appreciate feedback on that, though.
Mr. St. Denis.
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
I think the first panel is more for veterans. The second panel, the World Federalist Movement Canada, I don't have any strong feelings about. I don't know. I don't see the need for the second panel myself.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
I don't personally feel a strong need for the second panel.
9:10 a.m.
Conservative
Betty Hinton Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Volunteers with peacekeeping—would you be all right with not having them here?
9:10 a.m.
Liberal
Brent St. Denis Liberal Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
They're the peacekeepers association. Those are the bureaucrats.