Agriculture Committee on June 12th, 2020

[Neil Ellis, Liberal, Bay of Quinte, ON]

I was just going to suggest, since it's around four o'clock now, that this go back to the subcommittee and you guys discuss it, because I think we're going to be closer to 4:30 on this if everybody's not happy with what the subcommittee has come up with. I support the subcommittee and their decision.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

It's very urgent that we get our spot in the lineup for the summer meetings, and I'd really like to have a decision today whether it's—

[Neil Ellis, Liberal, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Mr. Chair, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it part of the subcommittee's job to come up with a consensus and come back to us? I'm just not sure why this meeting is going all over now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Yes, the meeting was approved at the subcommittee, and we just moved that. It's just the details on the calendar.

[Neil Ellis, Liberal, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Do we have all members on the...? What members, all parties...on the subcommittee?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

The subcommittee is Francis,Mr. Barlow, Monsieur Perron and Monsieur MacGregor. That's the subcommittee we had meeting the other day.

[Neil Ellis, Liberal, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Did the subcommittee vote on this?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Well, not specifically the calendar dates. They left it up to me to come up with a schedule. We spoke with the different whips and that's the most accommodating one we could come up with. I'm bringing it up to you now. If the committee is not happy with it or wants to make some changes, we'll open it up, but I'd like to have some calendar to propose for the logistics to happen.

[Neil Ellis, Liberal, Bay of Quinte, ON]

I favour the calendar you made. I'll support that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Are there any other comments?

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

I will try to keep it simple. I propose to remove the August 5 meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

August 5, hang on there....

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

As Mr. Lehoux and I said, we won't need four meetings to finish the report. The report must be tabled in September. If we remove the August 5 meeting, that would at least extend the summer break. We will see each other on July 10 and on September 2, and that will surely suffice to resolve this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

So the meetings would be postponed by one....

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

We would resume our work on August 19, as proposed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Okay. We would cancel the August 5 meeting and hold one on August 19.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

We could add a meeting as needed. I think that my proposal can reach consensus.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Does everyone agree with cancelling the August 5 meeting?

Does that work?

Mr. Lehoux, do you have a comment?

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Chair, I don't really agree with cancelling meetings. We are already struggling to schedule them. I maintain that we should keep our meetings. I understand Mr. Perron's concerns about all the staff, but the staff seems to agree with those dates. We will be able to find the necessary personnel to support us in our meetings, and I am grateful to them for that. I would, however, like the committee to keep as many meetings as possible, as we have numerous important issues to discuss.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

I just want to remind Mr. Lehoux that I am proposing to resume normal business in September, before the House resumes sitting. We would meet twice a week. Finally, I propose to add three or four meetings. So I think that we are on the same wavelength concerning the number of meetings.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

If this option works for everyone, I have no issue with it. I just wanted to ensure that no meetings would be cancelled. What I am trying to avoid is us being told in September that we cannot have two meetings per week because of a lack of time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

It is certain that cancelling one meeting brings us closer to the end. We have to determine how many meetings will be necessary to adopt the report.

Two options seem to be available: either us keeping the schedule in its current form, or us cancelling the August 5 meeting and postponing meetings until September.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Ms. Rood, go ahead.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

I'd like to suggest that we continue with the schedule we have. We know we have a few sittings of the House in the summer, and if we can finish this report earlier, I think the departmental officials would probably appreciate having it tabled sooner rather than later. We are completing this study right now so that the minister and officials will have time to review it before their FPT meetings in the fall. I think if we can sit now and as close to the early part of the summer as possible to get this done, if we complete it, we don't have to sit later and we can get this report in. I also understand that there might be an availability to sit potentially in the last week of June. Maybe if we can sit that week, we can get through this report and get it off to the analysts to finish it. I think it would be important to finish this sooner rather than later, and I don't think we should delay any of the sittings.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Ms. Rood.

Mr. Soroka, I think you have your hand raised.