Evidence of meeting #72 for Veterans Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was leadership.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 72....
Yes, Mr. Richards.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
If I can, it might be best to do this now.
There is a lot of committee business building up. Obviously, we have witnesses here today and we want to hear from them fully. We have some things that are particularly timely, especially the supplementary estimates.
I'm wondering if we could get the consent of the committee to extend our meeting so we can have half an hour of committee business when we're done with the witnesses.
4 p.m.
Liberal
4 p.m.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
As we're hearing from the other side is that this is not possible, could we instead, then, set aside 20 minutes before the end of the meeting to have committee business? We're running up against a deadline.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Bryan May Liberal Cambridge, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll be brief, because I want to get to the witnesses.
What I propose is a subcommittee meeting. There are quite a few different motions on the table. It would probably be worthwhile to have a subcommittee meeting to deal with all of them at the same time.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Mr. Chair, that we have lots of very timely things. Is there any way we could have this in today's meeting somehow?
I was obviously suggesting that we carry on the meeting. I think that would be preferable. It would be better for the witnesses and everything else if we were able to do that. However, it sounds as if we're not getting consent from the committee. Is there any way we could allow 20 minutes or so to do that?
For example, the supplementary estimates have to be dealt with in a fairly timely fashion. We haven't had an opportunity for two weeks now to move anything.
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
I know we have a lot of notices of motions, but I don't know, for Thursday, if we already have our witnesses.... Maybe we can have committee business on Thursday.
4 p.m.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
With only two witnesses, I guess we could. It would have been preferable, obviously, if we could have extended the meeting today. It sounds as if we won't be able to do that. If you could allow an hour for witnesses and an hour for committee business, that would be even better.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Bryan May Liberal Cambridge, ON
To be clear, I'm suggesting a subcommittee business meeting. This would be appropriate, I think, given the number of motions on the floor.
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
I understand. I hear you, Mr. May, but quickly, as you know, if we have a subcommittee, we'll have to come back to approve the report of the subcommittee.
We have two witnesses on Thursday. I think we can have an hour of committee business on Thursday and an hour with the two witnesses.
Go ahead, Ms. Blaney.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
I just want to know who the witnesses are on Thursday before we make that decision.
4:05 p.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Alexandre (Sacha) Vassiliev
On Thursday we have Nina Charlene Usherwood confirmed and Vivienne Stewart, as individuals.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
I think I would be more interested in having an extension of the meeting on Thursday. At least then we would have notice.
Right now the problem, of course, is that Equal Voice is having its event, and many of us are attending it.
If there's a way, Chair, perhaps you could look into having an extra 20 minutes at the end of committee to deal with some of the more important things and still have the two-hour committee with witnesses. Those are important witnesses, to me, on Thursday.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Bryan May Liberal Cambridge, ON
I hope this will be my last intervention. Again, given the number of motions we have, potentially, on the table that people will want to talk about, carving out 20 minutes.... I agree with you that we want to give the witnesses their appropriate time, but I think a subcommittee meeting would be appropriate.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Perhaps I have an alternative suggestion.
You are correct, Chair. The idea of a subcommittee meeting is not a tenable one given the fact that procedure would then require us to come back to committee. We're burning too much committee time when we have these things that obviously need to be dealt with.
Perhaps I have a compromise. We have two witnesses, which would mean we'd be cutting back on the number of opening statements. Obviously, each witness would get more time for questions than they'd have in an ordinary meeting with three or four. Perhaps you could look into extending the meeting. You could still provide us with an hour, but do an hour and a half with witnesses and then an hour of committee business. The meeting would be two and a half hours, if that's possible. If that's not possible, then I suggest we go with your previous suggestion that it be one hour and one hour.
If we can extend it by half an hour, that will give the two witnesses a good period of time. Then we still would get the hour of committee business.
