Evidence of meeting #43 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was rail.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Good morning, everybody. This morning at our meeting we're going to be discussing rail issues. The chair has informed me that he's running late. He's asked me to fill in as vice-chair.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Yes, a late night. We've seen that Conservatives were singing quite adamantly last night, and it's good to see that there's joy amongst them all.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Anyway, to get back to the meeting, I'm tidying up a little homework that we have here. Our clerk—
Are you okay, Madame Bonsant?
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
At our last meeting, we showed our dismay that Transport Canada was not going to be here, so our clerk has sent another invitation to them asking them to come. She also clarified that she ensured in her e-mail to Transport Canada that Transport Canada understands that, following our conversations, officials were invited to address specific issues of cost of shipping grain by rail.
Chloe got a response. The response from Transport Canada is this: “My apologies for not getting back to you earlier. This morning I got back to the department that said yes.... They confirm that it is understood that we were invited to address the issue of cost of shipping grain by rail and that we would be pleased to appear before the committee later on this topic”. That's a way of saying no, but they would come to our committee later to discuss it. So I don't know that we need to get into a lot of dialogue. I guess the answer from Transport is that they are willing to come later.
Does anybody have any comments?
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Yes, Mr. Chair, I do. I think the committee should inform them that we believe this response is unacceptable.
I think if we have to subpoena Transport Canada to come, then we should do it. If they say they're going to come at a later date now, I suppose a subpoena is not necessary, but I think we need to inform them as a committee.
I don't think any of us on any side of the House would be happy with the fact that when a committee makes an invitation to a department on an extremely important issue for rural Canada, and especially in this case for farmers, we get this kind of inadequate response. It's just not acceptable, and I think they need to be told that formally.
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
I think the committee did the best they could. The chair was asked at the last meeting to approach the minister and his staff and to state that they wanted the department to come in front of them. That was done. I think there's a service review under way, and they're probably suggesting that they come after their findings are published, not before. If they come before, they can't really say a lot. I think that's what's there.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
I'm just trying to get a sense of this so that we can get on to our witnesses. There is a sense from all members that we really wanted them here. Would it be fair that we send a letter that would show our displeasure that they weren't here? Would that be fine?
December 9th, 2010 / 8:50 a.m.
Conservative
Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB
This report is very important, as Wayne has pointed out, as has our side. I would suggest that we make some time in the new year and that we tell them when they're going to be at the next committee meeting--that we want them.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Yes, that we tell them the time. We'll probably put that in the letter, right? We'll probably write directly to the minister. There are two ministers kind of responsible here--
Conservative
Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB
I think that in all fairness, Mr. Chair, we should look at this after we deal with our witnesses.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
We have a letter here, but I don't think we're going to get into it. At the end of the day, they're not here. I think we should show our displeasure to the minister and say that we will be asking them to come forth at the next—
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Maybe we can take it up at the end of the meeting, Chair. They have a letter; they're giving a reason in the letter. It's related to a comprehensive service review that they're undertaking. They're in the middle of it right now. They're saying that if they came they wouldn't be able to answer any questions until the service review is complete.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Chair, that's not the point.
The point is that a parliamentary--
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
I don't care if they're doing 20 reviews. A parliamentary committee representing Canadians in our responsibilities as an agriculture and agrifood committee has requested a department to come before this committee.
No excuses are acceptable. We've asked them to come, we have reasons to believe they should be here, and they should be here. I don't accept that response. If they want to come and sit in that chair and explain what they put in that letter, that's their right to do so, but that kind of response is unacceptable.
And I don't think, Pierre, that you should be defending them.
Conservative
