Bill C-32 (40th Parliament, 3rd Session) Committee on Nov. 23rd, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Sorry. What times are you suggesting, then?

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

No, sorry. My colleague is helping me with this. They'd prefer to meet from 8:45 to 10:45 in the morning, so that would be two hours on Tuesday and two hours on Thursday.

I know it's getting difficult here, because we're looking at the heritage committee and the INDU committee. Six of our members are on INDU committee, but certainly we could take a look at the possibility of meeting during our INDU committee time as well. But we would obviously have to check with our INDU committee to see if that would be a possibility.

I know that those of us on this side of the table would be willing to make amendments to our INDU committee schedule to make sure we place a priority on the copyright bill, if we could. I would hope there would be a similar willingness on the part of heritage committee members to recognize that there is a priority to the copyright legislation for most of the stakeholders we listen to on a regular basis

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Okay. We're now dealing with the amendment.

Mr. Rodriguez.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

I don't think I asked to speak on this, but if you want me to, I can.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Oh, you want to speak on the main motion. We're dealing with the amendment at this point.

On the amendment to the motion, Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

I'd like to speak to the amendment a bit. With what Mr. Lake has put forward, while it's an intensive work schedule, it behooves the committee to approach the bill in this way. Whenever legislative committees are struck, they're struck so that a bill can be focused on, worked through, and done in an expedient manner. It's an open process. We can work on the legislation. We're prepared to look at the bill and we're prepared to listen to witnesses. Ultimately, we want to report this bill back to the House so that we can get it passed.

As I said, there is an imperative on us from beyond these walls, beyond this place, to update Canada's copyright legislation, and from many different perspectives of many different people. It is so important that we get this done. This has been ongoing for more than a decade.

I would like to see the members of this committee take a serious approach to working through this, listening to the witnesses, and getting this bill reported back to the House. I think that's the responsible thing to do. I am very happy to clear my schedule to make sure that happens. I'd like to see that kind of commitment from all sides. In doing so, there's no reason why that's not working together, why that's not being responsible, and why that's not taking the time to contemplate the bill. I think we've all contemplated it for some time. As I said, there isn't too much untilled soil on this issue.

I think we should look at this compressed schedule that Mr. Lake has put forward. It's very intensive, but I think it demonstrates sincerity, importance, and priority that all parties are placing on updating Canada's copyright.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you.

I'm going to call the question on the amendment. We'll proceed to the vote on the amendment.

Mr. Garneau?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Yes, Mr. Chair, I would like to reiterate the fact that we are approaching this extremely seriously. According to the proposal that has been put forward, we're going to be receiving 12 witnesses per week--three, three, three, and three, in a four-hour period. That's a lot of witnesses. That's a lot of content and that's a lot of opinion being expressed.

We believe that's a very serious approach to this, rather than trying to stuff everything into marathon sessions at the very last minute for no really strong reason. We have waited a long time to get to this. Let's do it properly, with the proposal that's on the table, without the amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Okay. We'll hear from Mr. Lake and then we'll move to the vote on the amendment.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

I actually agree with Mr. Garneau that we need to take it seriously. We believe we are taking it seriously.

Now, I would point out that at 12 witnesses a week, as Mr. Garneau pointed out, let's look at the actual schedule, the practical schedule that this would give us. Mr. Rodriguez mentioned that he alone has 40-some witnesses. We have 11 members of the committee. One guy has 40-some witnesses. That takes us to early February for just Mr. Rodriguez's witnesses.

To times that by 11 members of the committee....I don't know what we're talking about here in terms of timeframe, but it seems like it will be sometime in 2012 by the time we get done. I think we need to take this a little bit more seriously. Certainly I propose 16 hours of meetings a week and certainly that's not too heavy a schedule for members of the committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Okay. We'll have--

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Chair--

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Okay, Mr. Garneau, and then I'll ask for--

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Sorry. I just want to correct the extrapolation there.

Mr. Lake, if you're suggesting that we have 440 witnesses to listen to--40 times 11--I think you're indulging in a little hyperbole. There has been some consolidation. It's not the final list, but there has been some talk, at least amongst the Liberals, about our witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Mr. Angus, you have the last word, and then we are going to vote.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Please, Mr. Chair, call the question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Okay. We are going to have a recorded vote on the amendment by Mr. Lake.

(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)

The amendment is defeated, so we will now go back to the main motion, which is to meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:30.

Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

I'd like to move an amendment to that motion, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to propose that the committee meet Mondays and Wednesdays, in addition, between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays between 8:45 and 10:45.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Just one second.

On a point of order, Madame Lavallée.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

There is already a motion on the table. The amendment has been defeated. Normally, according to the rules, we should now vote on the main motion. That is what the rules say. I know it does not suit you, but those are the rules.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Mr. Del Mastro, what you're proposing is going to be different from the previous amendment.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Yes, because Mr. Lake proposed 6:30 to 9:30. I'm proposing 7 to 10 p.m.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Mr. Rodriguez, a point of clarification...?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Actually, it's a question. Can they go on like this, change the hours and table an amendment every time--instead of 9, 9:30, and instead of 10, 10:30--and we'll be here for hours?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

If there are to be additional meetings that are supported by the committee, maybe we can try to find some sort of compromise there rather than throwing multiple amendments up. I'm trying to find some middle ground if we can move this ahead.

Mr. Del Mastro.