Agriculture Committee on Feb. 25th, 2020

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

I quote: “to do a gap analysis, identify improvements”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Do we then go back to the original wording from there?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Okay.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Would you like me to say it in French too?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

No, I think that it's fine.

Go ahead, Mr. Soroka.

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Here's my question. We're just reviewing the current programs. Is there a potential, if we see a severe default, that we can actually look at creating a new program or suggesting a new program? Or is that too much?

I'm just saying. You're the one being precise, so that's why I'm asking.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Okay. We'll go to Mr. MacGregor now.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

I just want to be clear. Mr. Drouin's amendment is going right between the words “programs” and “to”. I think I read that right.

With regard to Mr. Soroka's question, I think the committee's recommendations will be very much guided by what the witnesses say, so I see no reason for us to include such a recommendation if it's based on what we hear from our witnesses.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Are there any other comments?

Mr. Blois.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

I just want to put on the record that in Kings—Hants the BRM programs are very important, and I appreciate that my colleague opposite is bringing this forward. I know that this is an important topic, and I'll certainly be supporting it moving forward. I just wanted to put that on the record.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Mr. Blois.

Monsieur Perron.

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

There's a difference between this proposal and the first one. The first one we adopted earlier specified a minimum number of meetings, whereas this one does not. I just want to make sure that we're going to provide for the number of meetings necessary. I think it's a very complex issue that may well take us a long time to analyze, and it shouldn't be partially analyzed. We need to do a proper review of the issue and make sound recommendations.

So should it be written down, or do we assume the committee will take the time? That's my question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

As indicated, there will be a minimum of three meetings.

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

That doesn't seem like a lot to me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

We can have more, but we want at least three meetings.

Are there any other comments?

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

I move the amendment suggested by Mr. Drouin, which would set the number of meetings at six rather than three.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

For now, we have to vote on the amendment before us. Then you can move another amendment. It's at your discretion.

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

There are already two amendments.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

We vote on one amendment at a time.

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

Is Standing Order 109 at the end of this one as well?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

I believe that's part of the original motion.

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

No.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

You added Standing Order 109 in your original. Is that right?

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Taking the clerk's advice that I can't amend my own motion, the way I'm following now is that Monsieur Perron proposed the amendment to add the government response at the end. That's one amendment. Mr. Drouin had the second amendment, which was to insert that wording closer to the top. Then, I believe, we had a third amendment, which was to move it to six meetings.

Maybe we need to vote on them in order—one, two and then three. I'm just being the traffic cop here on these amendments.