Canadian Heritage Committee on May 6th, 2013

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Moore]

Certainly.

(Motion negatived: nays 7; yeas 4)

Our witnesses are not here anymore. We have committee business scheduled for Wednesday and we have witnesses for the first hour. I would encourage members—it makes committee work a lot better, I think—to do committee business within the confines of committee business, whether it concerns witnesses or our schedule or the work we're doing. I think it helps. That's why we schedule committee business. We schedule witnesses to hear witnesses; we schedule committee business to conduct our committee business. But, be that as it may, I'll hear Mr. Calandra.

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

I don't know whether it will please the committee, but I would seek unanimous consent, notwithstanding the earlier motion, to remove the first sentence:

A breakdown and comparison of relevant standards and courses of study offered in primary and post-secondary institutions in each of the provinces and territories;

Perhaps that would help.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Moore]

Mr. Calandra is asking for the unanimous consent of committee members to remove that first bullet point, which says, “A breakdown and comparison of relevant standards and courses of study offered in primary and post-secondary institutions in each of the provinces and territories”.

Is there unanimous consent to remove those words?

[An hon. member]

No.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Moore]

There is not unanimous consent.

You could have a vote on it.

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Yes. Let's just have a vote on it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Moore]

All right.

Mr. Nantel, would you like to speak to Mr. Calandra's motion?

Go ahead.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Thank you.

The fact that we are endeavouring to do studies that make sense is nothing new.

I have often mentioned that when I sat on other committees, we tried to work in the best interest of Canadians. One example is the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, where all the members present felt strongly about the fishermen's situation. Those MPs represented ridings where there were a lot of fishers.

I would like us to have healthy discussions on important subjects. I think it would be unfortunate if we were to undertake this study blindly without counting the number of weeks that it will require. It is a relevant subject, but it does not need all this much time. We should restrict our study to a certain number of weeks.

Mind you, I do appreciate Mr. Calandra withdrawing the first paragraph. I think many people gave their opinion on that point. I would also like him to consider limiting the scope of the second paragraph where it mentions a study. The text is only in English. I have never received it in French. And that poses a problem, there is no denying that.

I will quote the paragraph that I am referring to. You are withdrawing the following:

A breakdown and comparison of relevant standards and courses of study offered in primary and post-secondary institutions in each of the provinces and territories;

That is good, but we would like you to think about the amount of time that will be dedicated to this study and to consider removing the following words:

A review of federal, provincial and municipal programs designed to preserve our history and heritage;

We would like that to be withdrawn.

This would limit the question at the federal level.

I would like this to be limited to federal programs and for a timeframe to be put in place.

Mr. Calandra, I would like to know what you think about this. I appreciate what you have proposed for the first paragraph, but we believe that we need to reach a compromise.

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

A number of programs that the federal government undertakes are with our partners at municipal and provincial levels.

I just want to read something to you, Mr. Chair, as part of my comments. This is from one of our committee meetings:...I asked the teacher what the federal government could do to help them. She replied that certain federal institutions could be opened up to local schools and offer them free visits.

That was from Madame Boutin-Sweet. That was you when we had some officials from a museum, I think, at which you used to work.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Moore]

Mr. Calandra.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Could you repeat that, please?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

I'll read from the statement:

I'd like to continue on the topic of education. That seems popular today. A few weeks ago, I went to visit a primary school. In my riding, Hochelaga, neither the schools nor the people are very rich. And so I asked the teacher what the federal government could do to help them. She replied that certain federal institutions could be opened up to local schools and offer them free visits.

Mr. Chair, again, we're not telling the schools that this is how you should interpret history, and we're not telling our municipal partners that. Here is an example of something we might have been able to learn.

I understand that the NDP have a difficulty with our discussing provincial and territorial schools, so we'll pull that from the motion, Mr. Chair. But I think the member for Hochelaga points out some of the areas in which the federal government can assist in this work, and I think that's the point of the committee too—especially as we approach Canada's 150th, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Moore]

Mr. Nantel has proposed an amendment to Mr. Calandra's motion. Mr. Calandra's motion as I have it is that notwithstanding the motion adopted by committee on April 29th, 2013, that the following sentence be removed from said motion.... I won't read the sentence again. I think we all know which one it is.

Mr. Nantel's amendment would add the following bullet: A review of federal, provincial, and municipal programs designed to preserve our history and heritage;

The question is on the amendment to the motion. Mr. Nantel has moved an amendment that we eliminate the second bullet.

(Amendment negatived)

The question is on the motion of Mr. Calandra.

(Motion agreed to)

It looks to be unanimous. That paragraph will be struck, then, from the motion.

The meeting is adjourned.