Canadian Heritage Committee on May 18th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Are you suggesting the 30th, when we return, the 31st, and I didn't get the last one.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

It was the 1st or 2nd of June. Of those four days, preferably five hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or whatever the clerk can scrape up, hock, find, and steal over that period of committee times.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You kind of cut out there, Peter.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

I propose Tuesday for five hours on autopilot. That's on May 24, and then on May 31, June 1 and 2, it would be up to five hours according to the availability of rooms each day.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Is everyone in agreement with this? Is there anyone in opposition to this motion?

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Good work, guys. There was very good will, as well.

I just want to say that I don't know, because only the whips can say whether or not we can get three days in one week of five hours each. It's going to be up to the clerk. We will go with that at the moment.

This motion passes, obviously, so as I said, congratulations for the good will and good work.

The next thing I have to find out is if we need to have witnesses for this meeting on Tuesday. The clerk will be working on Thursday with what she's got to move forward. I was wondering if the department would be one of your first witnesses. At least that would give us witnesses for a certain period of time while the clerk works on what she can get.

Is there any opposition to that idea?

[The Clerk]

I think Mr. Nater has his hand up, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

John.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

I was really just heckling, but it would be nice to have Minister Rodriguez there as well. I'm sure he would be eager to join us and present on his bill.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

That may be so. We'll have to see. One cannot tell what ministers' schedules are like, but if the minister could come, that would be great. If the minister cannot come, shall we just go with the department officials? Is that acceptable to everyone? It's just a plan B.

[The Clerk]

Mr. Champoux has his hand up.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Martin.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

I believe we're unanimous, Madam Chair.

If we can welcome the Minister of Canadian Heritage and his officials, so much the better. If the minister is not available, we'll gladly have his officials. I think we're all in agreement on this point.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

If I may just recap—

Yes, Aimée.

[The Clerk]

Mr. Bittle has his hand up, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Chris.

[Chris Bittle]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

We sent in a prioritized list of witnesses, and I know it's usually officials and minister first. We're proposing officials and minister last, as the final witnesses after all of the testimony has been heard, as I don't believe the minister is available on Tuesday, but he is eager to appear before this committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Chris.

Just to recap, we have a deadline of Thursday, tomorrow, at four o'clock eastern time for anyone who has not submitted witness lists to submit them. We already have quite a long witness list, and some of them may actually be duplicates, but I think the clerk would send those lists for you to look at.

Mr. Bittle said that the Liberals have sent in a prioritized list. I think if we all agree to those things, then maybe the clerk can begin on Thursday to try to get witnesses in, but if she cannot—because, don't forget, Monday is a holiday and talking to people on Monday would be pretty difficult—I know she will do her best to get hold of witnesses and bring them in. We will then be meeting on Tuesday for five and a half hours with a half-hour break. There will be no meeting on Wednesday, no further meeting during that constituency week, and then the following week we will have extended meetings, beginning with Tuesday for five hours when we get back. We're going to have May 31 and June 1 and 2 for five hours each, contingent upon the clerk's ability and maybe the whips' ability to try to find us that time.

I would entertain a motion to adjourn this meeting.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

I so move.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

(Motion agreed to)

Good work, everyone. I really am so proud of the way everybody worked well together.

Thank you. Have a good day, whatever is left of it.