Evidence of meeting #21 for Canada-China Relations in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was documents.
A video is available from Parliament.
12:30 p.m.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
I was intending to speak along the same lines as Mr. Bergeron, noting that 10 days have passed, and these documents have been—or many of them would already have been—subject to an ATIP request, so it's not a searching exercise that goes on.
The next 10 days are non-parliamentary days, which does give time for translation to be under way and work to be done, so a reasonable compromise, I think, would be 20 days or 21 days, taking Mr. Oliphant's outside number.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
Thank you very much.
I think we have a subamendment on the floor from Mr. Bergeron to change to 20 days instead of the 30 days Mr. Oliphant proposes.
I don't see anyone else currently wishing to speak.
Did someone oppose the change to 20 days? Perhaps they did.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
John Williamson Conservative New Brunswick Southwest, NB
I was going to suggest 10 working days. When we're now talking 20 days, those are 20 actual calendar days. Is that correct?
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
That is my understanding. I think maybe the law clerk could answer that question, unless it is the clerk who should answer.
12:35 p.m.
The Clerk
It would be 10 calendar days.
12:35 p.m.
Conservative
John Williamson Conservative New Brunswick Southwest, NB
Okay. That's virtually the same as three weeks or the 20 days that Mr. Bergeron suggested.
I mean that 10 working days is almost identical to three weeks. I'm satisfied with 20. That's close enough.
12:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
I think no one opposes the change to 20.
Madam Clerk, please proceed with a vote.
(Subamendment agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5 )
12:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
Now we're back to Mr. Oliphant's amendment to the motion, as amended to 20 days. Is there any debate on that?
Mr. Genuis.
12:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
I think there's a consensus to adopt it, Mr. Chair.
12:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
I was going to ask that. Does anyone want to oppose adopting that amendment?
12:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
Not seeing any hands up to speak, I will ask the clerk to take the vote.
(Amendment as amended agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)
12:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
We're now back to the main motion, as amended. Does anyone wish to speak to it?
Not seeing anyone wishing to speak to it, I will ask the clerk to conduct the vote on the main motion as amended.
(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)
Mr. Genuis.
12:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.
The motion we adopted doesn't prescribe a specific timeline for hearing from the law clerk. I hope there would be a consensus in the committee to prioritize in our agenda hearing from the law clerk as soon as possible once these documents are received.
I assumed that would be a given, but I just want to put that out here. We've discussed other business, but I think this should be a priority matter once we receive the documents.
12:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
You're proposing that once we receive the documents, we would probably postpone part or all of the meeting that was scheduled following that to the next date. Is that correct?
12:35 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Exactly. The proposed discussion with the law clerk would occur right away, once we receive the documents.
12:35 p.m.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
I think the law clerk should be the one to tell us that he's ready to discuss them. I don't think it should be done immediately upon their receipt. He obviously has to review them and come to his conclusions as to what he sees as matters that ought to be raised with the committee, in his opinion, etc., as contained in the motion. He will probably have to have a little time to look at that. We will hopefully hear from him once he has received the documents and an indication as to when he is ready to provide his advice.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
Thank you, Mr. Harris.
That's the same motion that Mr. Genuis has in mind.
Mr. Genuis.
12:40 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
I agree with Mr. Harris, the point being that this be done as soon as reasonably possible. Certainly we wouldn't allow our committee schedule to be the barrier, and we would encourage our law clerk. I know he works very diligently for parliamentarians, but encourage him to be connect with us as soon as he's available. We will certainly make ourselves available as quickly as possible.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
12:40 p.m.
The Clerk
I have Mr. Williamson in the room who wishes to speak.
