Canadian Heritage Committee on Feb. 9th, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Ms. Lavallée.

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

I can explain the presence of each name on this list. In fact, there are some priorities. Some organizations and some people have priority. Perhaps we could begin with CINARS, the Conférence internationale des arts de la scène, that made a study of the programs that were cut.

Mr. Clerk, I do not see the document here.

[The Clerk]

It is on the Liberal side.

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

Since you put it on the Liberal side, we will leave it to them. We will discuss it. We are able to establish priorities. Perhaps some people will not be available and we will have to drop them from the list. Many people asked me personally to be allowed to testify. They have specific things to say. I could discuss this with the clerk and we will see what kind of grouping we can make, because, obviously we will not receive them one by one.

Do you agree with this, Mr. Chairman?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I think that can be done, and I suggest that the first meeting we have will be the Monday after our break. That then gives my clerk a week and a half to put that list together and to make sure that the witnesses have proper notice and they can get here.

If that is satisfactory with you, sir, then if we do it that way, I think that's where I'd like to go.

Mr. Angus.

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

When you're done this, I wanted to address Wednesday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Okay. Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Charlie and I are of a common mind on that. I was just curious. On Wednesday, what will we be dealing with? I'd obviously like to talk about future business and get a timetable for when you're looking at commencing the study and when we look at completing it. Obviously I'd like to talk to the other members about some motions for some studies we could undertake. That would be a good opportunity to have a discussion about that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Okay, Mr. Angus.

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

I was going to recommend that we just have a general discussion on Wednesday. I would prefer that we just go around the table and talk about ideas, allow them to percolate and come back on the Monday, and find the time then to start plotting it in.

I know a lot of people are new on the committee, so I don't want to jump anybody and say that I want this study done by this date. I think if we look at a calendar to see how many dates we have, to consider what some of the issues are, we have to be a little loose, because issues are going to come up that we are not expecting.

So I think if on Wednesday we just had a general go-round and try to set some priorities, that would allow our clerk to start looking at where we need to go and it would allow each of us to start getting our heads around it.

So that would be my suggestion for Wednesday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Ms. Lavallée.

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

I am glad to see that we are talking about future work. I fairly well agree with what Mr. Angus said. However, after discussing the cuts in the subsidy programs, we should perhaps consider a wider study.

I must say that one of the subjects that I am specifically concerned with and that all artists are specifically concerned with, has to do with artists' living conditions. Last week, in fact, we consulted a report that had been mandated by the Department of Canadian Heritage regarding this matter. We could discuss that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Let's put that off to Wednesday. That's what Wednesday's meeting will be about, and you'll have all kinds of time to talk about it.

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

All right. I would like to tell you that I tabled another motion this morning regarding the committee's future business, and it has to do with the testimony made by Mr. André Juneau, from the National Battlefields Commission, when he announced that he would reconstitute that which we Quebeckers call the defeat of the Plains of Abraham. I know that the committee wants to discuss this later on. However, I was just wondering, in good faith, if per chance we could spend an hour on Wednesday discussing future business and receive Mr. Juneau for an hour. This could be enough.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I'm going to make a decision. You've tabled the motion today. We don't deal with the motion until Wednesday. We are going to do the 48 hours and we're going to be back.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

I think if you sought it, you would find unanimous consent to deal with the motion immediately, the motion Madame Lavallée is discussing.

Do we have consent?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Do we have unanimous consent, then? We don't have the copy. We don't have the motion here. We'll deal with that motion on Wednesday. It can be the first--

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

I have it right here in French and English, if you like. I'm happy to provide it to the chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Okay, well--

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

I just want my motion to be discussed. I do not want it to be adopted hastily. We will discuss it on Wednesday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I'm going to make a judgment here.

We're going to go with 48 hours' notice on this one, and we will deal with this motion on Wednesday first thing. Then everyone can have a couple of days to decide where they want this committee to go. I hope we do some very good, constructive work in this committee.

With that, I adjourn the meeting.