Yes, there is.
Evidence of meeting #10 for Afghanistan in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was commitment.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #10 for Afghanistan in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was commitment.
A video is available from Parliament.
9:10 p.m.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
My understanding of what you were proposing, Mr. Chair, is that one hour would be with witnesses, such as the Rainbow Railroad. I can't remember the other witnesses, but that would be the first hour. The second hour would be drafting instructions. Is that correct, Mr. Chair?
9:10 p.m.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
I don't think that's what Mr. Chong understood, but regardless....
Also, we've heard from a number of Afghan interpreters. We were just going to ask this particular group of Afghan interpreters to submit a written brief. Perhaps we could switch the order around and do drafting instructions first, Mr. Chair, because I think it's important that the analysts get our instructions. If it's important to the opposition to hear from these other witnesses on two panels, that would be fine, but I think we need to do our drafting instructions first.
My understanding is that there is no extra committee time. I don't want to have to end the meeting without the analysts having all the information they need. Perhaps we could do drafting instructions first. If the opposition wants to hear from Afghan interpreters rather than receive their written briefs, then we can use the remaining time, if it's 45 minutes each, for those additional panels.
9:10 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I think that if we are efficient with our time, we should be able to give instructions. If we cannot get an extra half-hour at the end of that meeting, we should be able to give instructions in half an hour and then, therefore, split the two panels into 45 minutes for each panel. That way, we give an opportunity for both panels to appear.
In terms of instructions, I urge committee members to come to the meeting and be ready to tell the analysts and the clerk what the instructions are, so that we're not hemming and hawing, and delaying that process. If we're efficient and if we've done our work beforehand, I think we should be able to do that.
Aside from that, Mr. Chair, I have one other request that I'd like to put forward pertaining to this committee and related to the report. I've sat on committees many times and the Library of Parliament does excellent work with respect to suggested questions.
Mr. Chair, I would like to make the request that, for the questions that have been given to us for this particular meeting for the minister and officials, we actually ask the officials to provide answers to all those questions. I think they are excellent questions, but we did not have time, obviously, to go through all of them. If I need to move that as a motion, I will.
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Let me say that, for the NDP and Liberals, the way I see it is that on May 16, for the first 30 minutes, we come prepared and we give instructions to the analysts, and then there will be 45 minutes for each panel. If I have consensus, I can get that meeting out of the way.
Mr. Chong, are you in agreement with that?
He's the one who brought this forward. I just want to make sure he's on board.
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you. I appreciate that. We're all set. It makes my life very easy.
Now I will move on to Ms. Kwan's request. I think we made sure earlier that, for the information Ms. Kwan or anyone else asked for, officials have already agreed. I don't think we have to vote to clarify that.
9:15 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
I'm sorry, but do you mean to say that in terms of my request for the officials to provide answers to all the questions submitted by the Library of Parliament pertaining to this report, it will then be an undertaking for officials to provide those answers to us before we draft the report? Do I understand that correctly?
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
I thought you were asking about the questions that were asked by the members.
9:15 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
No. I am asking about the questions in the document we received from the Library of Parliament, the suggested questions for ministers. They were excellent. These were just excellent questions that I think would help our committee write a report.
I'm moving a motion that committee members to request that officials answer these questions provided by the Library of Parliament before we write a report.
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
We'll have Ms. Damoff and then Mr. Sidhu.
Ms. Damoff, please go ahead now.
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Thank you, Chair.
I agree the Library of Parliament does excellent work with their questions. That's why all of us have the opportunity to ask those questions. We just had the minister and officials here for two full hours. It was very generous of his time to stay for the full two hours even though we started late. I think those questions could have been asked by any of the members during the two hours that we had the minister and officials here. I don't think it's reasonable to ask the officials to then, in turn, answer more questions that were done by the Library of Parliament.
9:15 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Excuse me, Mr. Chair. Perhaps you didn't see me, but I had my hand up.
9:15 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
I don't think we should drag this out. I suggest we go ahead and vote on Ms. Kwan's motion.
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Maninder Sidhu Liberal Brampton East, ON
Mr. Chair, there's some confusion here. What's going on here? I hear a lot of echo, and we're all talking. Perhaps you could just reiterate.
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Ms. Kwan brought in a motion saying that we should ask the officials to answer all the questions that are in the document from the Library of Parliament. I would like to ask if there is consensus on the motion she brought forward.
9:20 p.m.
Conservative
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Sure. Thank you. Let's have a recorded vote.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)
The time is already 9:21.
Thank you very much to all the members, interpreters, technical staff, the clerk and, of course, the analysts.
I'm going to call the meeting adjourned.
