Economic Relationship between Canada and the United States Committee on Feb. 23rd, 2021

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

Why don't we sit down and discuss the timing of the next meetings and the subcommittee meeting, and then we can go from there, just to get a little more organized, since this is the first time we're meeting. Is that okay with everybody?

I've only been chair for an hour. I have to think this through.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

There's still time to resign if you wish.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

For the other parties, do people know who is going to be sitting on that subcommittee, so we know that?

Mr. Strahl.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Well, I think after my surprise nomination as vice-chair, I suspect that I will be working that out.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

Yes. Sorry.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

I just want to make sure, and maybe this goes to Mr. Blaikie's point, that we don't find ourselves missing the first upcoming break week for a meeting and that we end up missing that one because we're doing organizational things. Then we're way down the road, not meeting during that first break week. I don't know what we need to do to ensure that we actually have....

At the next full meeting here, I'm hoping that we're going to hear from our ambassador to the U.S. or Global Affairs officials and that we get some level of agreement that the first meeting during that break week, whenever it occurs, is not another meeting where we're talking to ourselves. Perhaps I can just put that on the record. I'm hopeful that the subcommittee will meet sooner rather than later so that we can meet during the upcoming break week with a substantive meeting and this doesn't simply end up being a....

I know that no one would do it on purpose, but I don't think we want to go down the road where we miss out on opportunities to talk about something as important as Line 5. We have a mandated deadline to report back to the House.

It looks like I've started something here, but that's my desire, that we proceed with that and we get a substantive meeting during the break week.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

Mr. Housefather.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I just want to agree with Mr. Strahl.

Not to prolong the meeting, Mr. Chair, but I was also hoping for agreement from the committee, through you, to invite the Canadian ambassador to the United States to appear before the committee next week, during the break week, so that the clerk could extend the invitation. Hopefully, all the good people on the subcommittee will do great work to schedule our meetings, but I agree that we shouldn't wait for that so that the clerk can get her invitation out.

I would agree with Mr. Strahl's comment about the ambassador. Perhaps we could all agree that she should be invited. I think that's a great idea.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

Mr. McKay.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

I don't know who should be more disturbed, Mr. Strahl or Mr. Housefather, but I am agreeing with them both. I think the sooner we move to substance, the more relevant this committee will be. I concur on the invitation being sent immediately to the ambassador so that she can address the larger state of relations between Canada and the U.S. from her perspective.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

Mrs. Romanado.

[Sherry Romanado, Liberal, Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, QC]

Mr. Chair, I agree that we should extend an invitation, with the agreement of the committee, to the Canadian ambassador to the United States. Of course, it depends on her availability. If she does not have the required headset, I'm hoping we will have time to get it to her.

As well, given that this is Tuesday evening, the availability of facilities to do a subcommittee meeting might be hard this week. Perhaps we could schedule a subcommittee meeting next week, during a riding week, as well as have the ambassador next week. That allows the subcommittee adequate time to flesh out some plans for us going forward, but we don't lose an opportunity to meet next week.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

Mr. Hoback.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I'd like to see two substantive meetings next week. I agree with having the ambassador and government officials at that first meeting. It gives us the lay of the land. It gives us a sense of direction. It gives us a list of items that may be on their agenda that we're not aware of, things that they're dealing with. Once we have that, then we can proceed. I'd like to see two meetings next week. Time is an issue here, and I think we need to get moving on this as quickly as possible.

I understand about the subcommittee, but a lot of committees don't have subcommittees. The committee itself decides when it will have meetings and what it will do. In this case, I just encourage us to get going. I agree with Mr. McKay that the sooner we get going, the more relevant this committee becomes. I think there are more issues we can deal with and be constructive on as we go forward, so the sooner we get going, the better.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

Mr. Lewis.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Chair, I will be brief.

Very little is more important than moving this forward and moving it quickly. We really need to cement this Canada-U.S. relationship. I am very much willing to come to the table, so whatever time the meetings are, I'm ready to go.

I just wanted to let you know that, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

Thank you.

Ms. Bendayan.

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Chair, I obviously share the views of all the colleagues who have proposed that the ambassador appear as soon as possible at our first substantive meeting of this committee.

Picking up on something Mr. Hoback said, I wonder if the committee would agree that perhaps all members would be in a position to discuss things moving forward, rather than create a separate subcommittee. It certainly worked very well when Mr. Hoback and I had the experience on international trade.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

That would be the will of the committee, if that's the way the committee feels.

Yes, Mr. Strahl.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

I would just want to ensure that we aren't then using the time of....

I understand how that works, but we don't have the right to meet during sitting weeks. My understanding is that there's no capacity for us to meet.

The planning has to occur somewhere. I would normally say that I'm not looking for another meeting as the vice-chair. However, because of the structure the House provided for this committee, my concern is that we would then be spending our time, during the only time we're allowed to meet, talking about witness lists, the report and so on. By having a subcommittee work on it, perhaps that gives us more flexibility so we can, if there's capacity, engage in some of the work we can't engage in as a committee except in break weeks.

We have four weeks between now and when we're supposed to report, as the House mandated. I just don't want to lose time doing subcommittee work and lose time during sitting weeks, because we're not actually permitted to meet during those times.

That's my only flag to that. I want everyone involved, and from our side they will be, but that's my worry.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

Mr. McKay.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

I hesitate to disagree with the inestimable Ms. Bendayan, but my experience has been that a well-motivated subcommittee is a far more efficient use of time, can arrive at witness lists and set out an agenda for a committee much more efficiently than a full committee can. In a full committee you have 12 different opinions and you have to go through every one of the opinions, because everybody has their opinion until they change their minds, in which case they have two opinions. I would prefer to see a subcommittee.

The same members from the NDP and the Bloc are going to be on the subcommittee, as is Mr. Strahl. It's just up to the Liberals as to who they pick for their representative on the subcommittee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

Madam Clerk.

[The Clerk]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I just wanted to recap what I'm hearing, to make sure I have everything all members have said.

What I'm hearing is that there would be a subcommittee meeting as soon as possible—either this week if I can find a slot or as early as possible during the break week—and that the substantive meetings during the break week should include the ambassador, as well as Global Affairs officials.

Mr. Chair, it might be worth noting as well that the motion adopted by the House has other ministers and officials listed. If the committee agrees, I could start reaching out to them immediately.

Another thing that might be helpful for the committee is for the members to agree to allow the analyst to propose witnesses and perhaps do a bit of a draft work plan that we could then discuss in the subcommittee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Raj Saini]

Can I make a comment here? I think we've understood that the committee meetings will be Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., from what I understand. I understand there is an interest in getting the ambassador and some GAC officials.

I don't know how quickly we can get a subcommittee this week. Is it possible that next week, on Tuesday afternoon, we could have the steering committee? On Thursday we can try to give at least some time for the GAC officials and the ambassador to appear. After that we could get a more permanent steering committee at a certain time, just because of how rapidly things are moving.

Yes, Ms. Alleslev.