Environment Committee on Nov. 21st, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Order, please.

We have a bit of housekeeping before we go on. So that our clerks can arrange the schedule of witnesses to come, we need to make a decision. We have one day now on which we're not meeting when we thought we were, and that's November 30, because the House is not sitting November 30 or December 1.

It seems, in talking it over with the clerks, that the easiest approach would be to simply move everything by one meeting and thus get the witnesses we had scheduled for November 30 to come on the next Tuesday, and so on. That would mean possibly not finishing clause-by-clause until one meeting later, which would go into that next week.

We would need unanimous consent to do that, because the motion we have before us says that clause-by-clause is to be completed by December 7. I'm basically taking a straw poll on what people think about that. Our clerks do need to know, for confirming witnesses, just exactly what we're up against.

Mr. Bigras.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

First of all, I don’t see any problem with that. I know that we have obligations, but we must remember the principle behind the motion that we adopted regarding Bill C-288. It intended to ensure that this bill could be sent back to the House before this current session ends. I do not have the parliamentary timetable in front of me, but isn’t it possible this schedule change could prevent us from sending this bill back to the House before the end of its session?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

There are two days in the next week that are not, at this point, scheduled. What we would do is move from Thursday, December 7, to Tuesday, December 12. This is what I'm asking, because our clerks do need to arrange witnesses and so on.

Yes, Mr. Warawa.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

To comment on that, Mr. Chair, I believe that Mr. Rodriguez or Mr. Godfrey originally recommended December 12 or December 14, and it was Mr. Bigras who had suggested that we move it up a week from December 5 and December 7. We're going back to the original recommendation, but still finishing in time on December 12. I think it still works.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Mr. Cullen.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

The only consideration I would throw in, and I think the idea is fine, is that we have two private members' bills that are still waiting, as well, for the committee's attention. It would be good to get them out rather than to wait until after the Christmas break. I throw that in.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

I think, Mr. Cullen, that at least one of those is pretty much unanimous and that everyone agreed, so that could be moved through pretty quickly. We still have that one more day not booked.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I just throw that caution in there, because we also have the motion for the minister to return to the committee. There are a few things out there, and we have to be careful not to say that we'll just do this on the last day before the break, because there are other things we've agreed to do as a committee, and it would be unfortunate to wait until February to do them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Are there any other comments?

Do we have consensus then to do that?

Yes, Mr. Godfrey.

[John Godfrey, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

The only concern is if there's any danger that the House might break early.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

I don't think so. I doubt very much that it's a possibility. As long as I've been here, we've talked about that happening, and I don't think it's ever happened. I rather doubt it'll happen this time.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Chairman, this is still a possibility. Could we not add a session on the Wednesday like you did this week?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Yes, as long as we find a room and set up a separate meeting. This Wednesday we have something. So you'd be thinking about next Wednesday.

[Luc Harvey, Conservative, Louis-Hébert, QC]

We don’t have the room on November 30. Do we have something scheduled for November 30? The House isn’t sitting on that day.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Yes, November 30 is not a sitting day; that's why we have the problem now. In our planning, November 30 was a sitting day, but now it is not, so I'm just suggesting we just move it by one day, because we have the two days that weren't planned.

Yes, Mr. Bigras.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Unless I misunderstood him, Mr. Rodriguez is suggesting that we hold a session on Wednesday, November 29. The House is sitting that day.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

It would just be a matter of moving the session.

Exactly.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

The problem, of course, for all of us is that we do plan schedules and we do have a lot of events on, so as soon as we start doing a meeting at a different time.... It's one thing with the European Commission people if two or three people are there, or whatever. It's just an informal thing, not official. So it does create some difficulties for some of us when we start adding extra meetings.

What's the feeling of the committee? What would you like to do?

I would propose that we move it one day later, to Tuesday, December 12, and complete our clause-by-clause and report back to the House that week. That's basically what I'm proposing, but you're in charge.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Chair, I would agree with you. My schedule is busy with the suggestion of meeting the extra—

I would suggest you talk to your House leader and party leader and find out. If there's a thought that we're going to be breaking early, well, then we can come back as a committee and discuss it. But I don't think that's going to happen. It may be open for discussion, but I would say at this point that we meet on December 12. Instead of ending on the December 7, we should plan on ending it on December 12, which is your recommendation, and stick with that plan, unless we're going to talk about breaking early.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

I hate to throw anything else out, but of course the minister has been asked to come and we have a committee that's going to be struck very soon to look at Bill C-30. All of these things that we talk about today might well get into trouble because of other decisions; but for the clerk's sake, I just think we need a decision right now. As I say, I would propose December 12, unless someone has a great deal of difficulty with that.

Mr. Cullen, do you have a comment?

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

No, I agree with your sentiment.

The original idea of losing these two days was to make space for the Liberals' convention in Montreal. It seems reasonable; I checked with my House leader this morning to verify this. There's no substantive conversation among the House leaders right now about closing the House down early. There is a risk that it might happen, but I'll defer to your wisdom.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Well, we could always set a special committee, even if the House weren't sitting. But as I say, in 14 years I've never seen that happen, so I think we're pretty safe.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

That's clear evidence.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Is that the consensus, then?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.