Afghanistan Committee on March 11th, 2009

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

To my friend Paul, I say that most of the time we have votes on Thursdays at 5:30. This is before 5:30. I agree with you that if we were to sit on Thursday evening, it would conflict with what you're talking about. But this is only Thursday afternoon, and since most of us have to be here until 5:30 and beyond for the votes, I think it would be more appropriate to leave at that time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Mr. Bachand.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

I'm not pleased with this arrangement either. To my knowledge, votes have rarely been held on Thursday evening. Most Members want to leave after Question Period on Thursday. Does anyone here have a committee meeting scheduled on Monday or Tuesday morning? No. So then, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. would also be an excellent time slot. I get into town the night before. The following morning, we could have breakfast together, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. That would free up our Wednesday evenings or our Thursday afternoons.

I have no choice but to reject the two motions on the table. I would urge my colleagues to do likewise, so that we can find a more appropriate time slot that takes into account the work we do in our ridings. Members leave town on Thursday afternoon. I often have meetings Thursday evening in my riding. I would have to leave later and miss my Thursday appointments.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Thank you.

Mr. Wilfert.

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chairman, looking at the rotation of committee schedules, following on Mr. Crête's comments, there is 11 to 1 o'clock on Monday, if members are agreeable. All the others are definitely.... I won't even begin to know who's on which committees, but I think foreign affairs and defence are both Monday and Wednesday afternoons at 3:30. But there is a slot, and it's actually entitled “special committees”, from 11 to 1 o'clock on Monday, if that works. That's a suggestion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Okay, we have another suggestion, but it doesn't seem to be flying.

What about 11 to 1 o'clock on Tuesday? Who's busy then?

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, that creates a significant problem for western MPs, those who get here on Monday. We're not here until just before question period on Monday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

But what about Tuesday, 11 to 1 o'clock?

Mr. Wilfert, go ahead.

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chair, I have no problem with that. My two colleagues who would normally be here, Mr. Rae and Mr. Coderre, are not here, so I can't speak for them, but for me the Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m is fine. I know that both of them sit, one on foreign affairs and one on defence, so it wouldn't conflict with those committees. I can't speak for them, but I'm free.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Is there any other comment?

We have a motion to go at 6:30 on Wednesday and we have an amendment to go at 3:30 on Thursday.

Mr. Wilfert.

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Being amenable to this, if everyone is agreeable to Tuesday from 11 to 1 o'clock, I would move it to Tuesday. That's not a problem.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

The 3:30 to 5:30 has been withdrawn.

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

I'm withdrawing it and suggesting 11 to 1 o'clock on Tuesdays.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

We have speakers. We have Mr. MacKenzie and Mr. Hawn.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Chair, From our side it would be more convenient for us, for a variety of reasons, if it were to move to Thursday rather than Tuesday. It's the same time, but move it to Thursday rather than Tuesday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

I'm looking at the schedule, and the two time spots are 11 to 1 on Tuesday or 11 to 1 on Thursday.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

There's no difference in the committees, so if Tuesday works, then Thursday should work.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Do we have concurrence?

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

We agree.

[An hon. member]

D'accord.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

That's the most amended I have ever seen a motion without ever getting it amended.

I am going to propose that we vote on the amendment to the motion, that we meet at 11 until 1 on Thursday.

(Amendment agreed to)

(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings]

The second motion is that the committee retain as needed, at the discretion of the chair, the services of one or more analysts from the Library of Parliament. Could we have a mover?

It is moved by Mr. Kerr.

(Motion agreed to)

The next is that the subcommittee on agenda and procedure be composed of the chair and the three vice-.... That's not right.

This is the motion that was adopted last time, but we are not going to deal with that one. We are going to deal with the motion that is being handed out at the moment. We will wait until we get it.

The motion now says that the subcommittee on agenda and procedure be composed of the chair and one representative of each opposition party.

In the past we had three vice-chairs, and that's not the way it is anymore. We only have one vice-chair. so that previous motion is null.

Do I have a mover? It is moved by Mr. Crête.

Mr. Hawn.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

I have an amendment, Mr. Chair, for the sake of fairness. Since the chair is the chair and obviously unbiased, I would propose that the subcommittee on agenda and procedure be composed of the chair and one representative of each party.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Is there any problem with that?

We have the amendment. Now we are open for debate.

Mr. Crête.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

We're opposed to the amendment because it would alter the representation of opposition parties. It refers to two members of the Conservative Party, which alters the balance. In our view, the original motion is much better.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rick Casson]

Mr. Dewar.