Agriculture Committee on Aug. 26th, 2009

[Paul Mayers]

Indeed they are. Until recently, international standards in terms of listeria control didn't exist. But I am pleased to say that this summer the Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted standards for listeria control, and those standards are directly aligned with the standards established by Health Canada in terms of foods that both can and cannot support growth of listeria monocytogenes. So Canada's standards are directly aligned with the current international standards.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, André Bellavance]

That is all the time you have, Mr. Shipley. Thank you very much.

I am certain that, within a relatively short period of time, we will again be discussing this issue.

Mr. Valeriote, do you have a point of order?

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

No, it's not a point of order, but a question of the chair for some clarity regarding a question asked of the chair earlier by Mr. Easter. I'm wondering if I might ask you, sir, a question of clarity.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, André Bellavance]

Yes, you can ask me a question.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Okay.

We understood that Ms. Weatherill couldn't be here today but had given further dates. We understood that Minister Ritz couldn't be here today. He certainly did not decline coming in the future, though he did not give future dates.

We've heard things like that there are shortages of resources and inspectors, and that it's just a matter of time before it happens again. I think Mr. Evans said he's not sure if the resources will be made available or not. I would suggest, sir, that the answer to these questions necessitates the attendance of both Ms. Weatherill and Minister Ritz.

I understood there was a request that there be a consensus that these two witnesses be invited for the first week we're back, between September 14 and September 18. Do I understand, sir, that the government has agreed to that, or did it disagree with that?

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, André Bellavance]

When I was not yet in the chair, I had understood there was no unanimous consent to decide today to call those witnesses in the first week that we are back. However, nothing prevents us, as a committee, from tabling a motion or coming back to this issue subsequently. My understanding was that unanimous consent had not been given to invite those two witnesses in the first week following the reopening of Parliament.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Through you, Mr. Chair, could I ask them again? For the record, would they consent to the invitation of Ms. Weatherill and Minister Ritz, given the answers we've received to these questions today?

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, André Bellavance]

I can certainly ask again, but the answer that was already given was that there is no unanimous consent.

Mr. Lemieux.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Chair, what I'd like to say is that in principle it's not a problem. But I think we're going to be returning in the fall. We will have our full committee here. We have people here now who are not members of our regular committee; they don't know what we've done, where we've been, or where we're going.

We already have some studies under way. My recommendation, Chair, so that we don't enter into a long debate over motions right now, is that when we come back in the fall, we review our future agenda as we always do as a committee, that all committee members participate in that process, and we can set our schedule when we come back in the fall. I think that's very appropriate.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, André Bellavance]

There is no unanimous consent, Mr. Valeriote, which brings this discussion to a close.

As I was saying, within a relatively short period of time, it is quite likely that we will again be discussing this important issue.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the witnesses for their patience and for their valuable testimony.

Thank you as well to Committee members.

The meeting is adjourned.