Canada-China Relations Committee on March 31st, 2021

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

I had my hand up.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Mr. Harris, I'm sorry. You did have your hand up. Pardon me. Please go ahead.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

I hear Mr. Genuis say that he's willing to be persuaded or to compromise. Is there another number less than 30 but greater than 10 that he would suggest as a way of assisting other members in determining how they would vote?

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I have no one else wishing to speak.

Mr. Genuis, yes, I see your hand is up.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I'll just briefly say that I suppose that the members planning on casting the deciding vote can propose the number they think is reasonable.

I just hope that the number of days we apply takes into consideration that there have already been 10 days or thereabout since the original request for information at the original meeting. In effect, I would say that asking for 10 days from the adoption of this motion has given the Public Health Agency 20 days, which is not quite 30 days, but is closer.

Mr. Harris, if you want to propose a number, it seems like you may be the deciding vote here. I would just suggest that, given the fact that the process is far from over once we get the documents, and that we have to then review them and consider what to make public and so forth, we need to try to push this forward in a timely way.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I have the hand of Mr. Harris still up, I think. Then I have Mr. Oliphant and Mr. Dubourg. I think perhaps, from the indication of the clerk, someone in the room also wishes to speak.

Madam Clerk, who would that be?

[The Clerk]

Mr. Bergeron raised his hand a few minutes ago.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you very much.

I have Mr. Harris, Mr. Dubourg, Mr. Oliphant and Mr. Bergeron.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

I would say we can vote on this of course, and then—

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

On a point of order, I will testify to Mr. Bergeron's having had his hand up quite some time ago..

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Perhaps the clerk could assist me with the speaking order that she has.

[The Clerk]

If I may, Mr. Chair, I have Mr. Bergeron, Mr. Dubourg and then Mr. Oliphant.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Fine. All right.

Mr. Bergeron, you have the floor.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Mr. Chair, knowing me, you know that I'm always looking to come to a compromise.

Since Mr. Genuis has just told us that the agency has already had 10 days to prepare and that Mr. Oliphant wants us to give the agency 30 days to produce the documents, I'm moving a subamendment to Mr. Oliphant's amendment that we give the agency 20 days, for a total of 30 days, to Mr. Oliphant's satisfaction.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you very much, Mr. Bergeron.

Mr. Dubourg, you have the floor.

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I listened to the arguments of our colleague Mr. Genuis with interest, but Mr. Oliphant's arguments make a lot of sense.

It isn't the agency that will do the translations, I think it's the Translation Bureau. However, we know that all the committees ask it for translations. So, it really seems reasonable to me to give the agency 30 days to get all the documents to us in both official languages, which is extremely important.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you very much, Mr. Dubourg.

Go ahead, Mr. Oliphant.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Chair, I was left out of the order there after the order—

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I have you on the list. I appreciate the clerk's assistance. I have you now on the list after Mr. Oliphant.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

You called on me because you thought I was next. You then called on Mr. Bergeron because he was indeed next, as was pointed out, but I think I was to follow Mr. Bergeron.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

That may be. I'm going to have to go back to the clerk to assist me because I may have written it down wrong.

[The Clerk]

I had Mr. Bergeron, Mr. Dubourg, Mr. Oliphant and then Mr. Harris.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Very well, I'll accept the clerk's....

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you, Mr. Harris.

Go ahead, Mr. Oliphant, please.

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

I will be fast so we can hear from Mr. Harris.

I would still affirm that I do not believe it would be appropriate for an agency to assume that a decision by a committee is necessarily going to happen, so I don't believe that it would be common knowledge that we are going to do anything. To read the mind of a committee would not be a reasonable expectation. Therefore, I would still assert that I think it should be 30 days to give time for appropriate translation and to make sure that the documents are adequately given to us.

Thank you.