Evidence of meeting #1 for Afghanistan in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was deadline.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Miriam Burke

7:55 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I will introduce a routine motion that was passed by the Standing Committee on Finance.

I believe it was adopted earlier today, so the meeting minutes may not have been prepared yet to show that.

This motion was proposed by Liberal members on that committee, I believe, and adopted by the committee. It's a very simple motion.

I move:

That the committee authorize the clerk to distribute all committee documents to Mr. Alex Ruff.

Let me explain the logic behind this motion.

Mr. Ruff was an infantry officer in the Royal Canadian Regiment. I see him actually looking at me on the big TV screen in front of me. He served in six operational deployments overseas, two of which were Operation Athena in Kandahar province in Afghanistan, and in the city of Kabul, in 2007 and 2012.

He also served in Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq from 2018 to 2019. He may, from time to time, sit in on this committee to participate as one of the members of this committee. He would like to be on the same email list of members of this committee who receive documents from the clerk, so that he can keep track of the committee's business and participate in the proceedings when he substitutes in for one of the four of us here.

I note that the finance committee did a similar thing with Mr. Fragiskatos, who was recently appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue. He has been put on the distribution list through a routine motion adopted by the finance committee, so that he can keep track of the proceedings of that committee.

That's simply the reason for moving this motion, and I hope committee members will support it.

Thank you, everyone.

8 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

Thank you.

If there's no discussion, I would like to take a vote.

(Motion agreed to)

That's it for these motions.

Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, please go ahead.

8 p.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Congratulations on your election, Mr. Chair. My congratulations also go to all the vice‑chairs. I'm sure we are going to do some important work on this committee.

I would like to move the following motion, which the clerk, Ms. Burke, already has:

That, pursuant to the order of the House adopted on December 8, 2021, the committee assess the humanitarian assistance measures to be put in place by Canada to bring relief to the Afghan people; that the Committee invites representatives of the World Food Program, groups of veterans involved in the repatriation of Afghan interpreters and NGOs working in Afghanistan—

8 p.m.

Liberal

Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON

On a point of order, Chair, there's no interpretation.

My colleague may be reading too fast.

8 p.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

I am very sorry. I must treat my friends the interpreters to a drink.

I will read the motion more slowly.

8 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

There are translation issues right now.

Hold on, Monsieur Brunelle-Duceppe, for a second, please.

Okay. Go ahead.

8 p.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Okay. I will read the motion more slowly:

That, pursuant to the order of the House adopted on December 8, 2021, the committee assess the humanitarian assistance measures to be put in place by Canada to bring relief to the Afghan people; that the Committee invites representatives of the World Food Program, groups of veterans involved in the repatriation of Afghan interpreters and NGOs working in Afghanistan, to do so, that the Committee hold a minimum of three (3) meetings.

8:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

We'll have Madam Damoff, please.

8:05 p.m.

Liberal

Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON

Thank you, Chair.

It's a wonderful motion. I wonder if the mover would be agreeable to expanding it to other humanitarian organizations.

8:05 p.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

I have no problem with that.

8:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

Are you okay with this, Monsieur Brunelle-Duceppe? Okay, there are no issues.

There is consent. I will take a vote on this.

8:05 p.m.

Liberal

Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON

Hold on, Chair. If we're going to add other humanitarian organizations either we decide that we're going to submit other witnesses, or we name them now. I think it might make more sense to adopt your motion as is, but add something that says, “and other witnesses”.

I would like to hear from an organization that's assisting Afghan women and also from World Vision Canada, which I know has approached me about their challenges, but there may be others.

Could we submit additional witnesses by a certain date? I'd be open to that.

8:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

Madam Damoff, how about we leave it a blanket “other organizations”? That includes those anyway. Are you okay with that?

8:05 p.m.

Liberal

Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON

Sure. Is that okay?

8:05 p.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Yes.

8:05 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON

Could Mr. Brunelle‑Duceppe read the motion that he introduced again so that it is clear?

8:05 p.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

You want me to read the motion as amended?

I will do so, but I would like to make a comment first.

8:05 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON

Okay.

8:05 p.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Chair, I agree with my friend Ms. Damoff. However, if we invite other witnesses and other organizations, it makes sense to add a minimum of two sessions.

If we invite more witnesses, it is logical that we will need more time. So I could reread the motion and add “and other humanitarian organizations.” Also, instead of “three sessions”, it would be “five sessions”.

Would that work for everyone?

8:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

Okay.

Is there any further discussion on this?

8:05 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON

Just to be clear, can we have the words of the original motion that Monsieur Brunelle-Duceppe presented repeated, please?

8:05 p.m.

The Clerk

You should have received it by email.

8:05 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON

I don't have it. Can you send it to my P9?

8:05 p.m.

The Clerk

Yes.

8:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

I'm sorry, Madam Damoff. I will come back to you. Let me sort out first whether Mr. Chong has received the wording of the motion.

He has. Now the floor is yours.