Evidence of meeting #2 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 40th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was witnesses.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Committee Researcher
No. This is a lucky committee, having two analysts assigned to it. Most of them do not have a full two analysts.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
So roughly 70% of two person-years right now is dedicated to this committee. Is that right, Penny?
Penny Becklumb Committee Researcher
I provide some support for citizenship and immigration, and I do legislation as well. I have to summarize legislation, and so I'll follow that through whichever committees it goes through, the House, and the Senate.
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
I have a question about planning our work. What is going to happen next week? We have a session on Tuesday, but do we intend to form a subcommittee to consider our future work? What is the schedule for next week?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Okay, so I'm suggesting that on Tuesday morning we'll have the environment commissioner back and we'll be able to continue with our questioning from the briefing we're going to receive today and the report he's tabling at two o'clock.
Then we would go in camera, and we can do it as a whole committee rather than just as the steering committee, and start laying out our agenda and calling witnesses.
Okay.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
What is the budget of this committee? Just quickly, is there an assigned budget to standing committees of the House of Commons?
The Clerk
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The budget goes by studies, so if we're going to undertake a major study, for example, if it involves travelling or many witnesses or a teleconference, then I would prepare a budget, which would have to be approved by this committee, along with a work plan.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
And then we have to present that to the Liaison Committee, which is all the chairs of all the committees, and they have to approve it too or modify it, and that happens frequently.
Monsieur Bigras.
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Perhaps I am wrong, but there are some things I do not understand.
I would like to come back to the question I asked earlier. You tell us that we are going to plan our work, but no committee meeting has been called. To my knowledge, today's meeting is the only formal one that has been called. We are going to hear the Environment Commissioner, and a plenary meeting is open to all members. Do you mean that we are going to plan the committee's future work at some stage in a committee meeting that has not been called?
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
I do not understand. Usually, there are motions allowing the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure to meet. I see no notice of any meeting other than the one I have before me.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Okay, we haven't called next week yet. There will be a notice today.
The environment commissioner told me last night that he's available to meet with us on Tuesday for an hour. Tuesday is our scheduled slotted time, so from 9 till 10 o'clock we'll ask the environment commissioner to appear before committee so that we, as a committee, have time to ask him questions based on the report he's about to table, and that, if we shoot upstairs, we'll be able to get briefed on.
And if you want to do it as a steering committee, as a subcommittee, we can do that from 10 to 11 o'clock. Or we can do it as a whole committee. I'm open to discussion on that one. But since everybody's going to be here from 9 to 10 o'clock, I'm okay with going with everybody from 10 to 11.
Francis.
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
I would suggest that in the second hour we meet as a full committee and plan our future business.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
We'll plan our future business, and that way we can find out where everybody sits on various issues.
Ms. Duncan.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Chair, I have a question.
As I understand, next week may be our only opportunity to review the estimates. Should that not be our priority? Are the minister and his officials going to come before us next week?
Conservative
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
If that is the wish of the committee, I can put in a request to the minister and officials.
NDP
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
We're going to be considering supplementary estimates (B).
Are there any other comments? Discussion?
Mr. McGuinty.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Very quickly, that's a really good point that Ms. Duncan raised. In the last several years we've often had difficulty fitting in the estimates process.
I'm wondering, Mr. Chair, if a motion is required, or whether the clerk could be asked to give our committee regular notice--maybe it's a month, maybe three weeks. At first blush, a month--four weeks--would seem helpful in the sense that we, as a committee, can plan on a regular basis.
I've always believed that the estimates process, under all the governments I've seen in the last 15 years, has underachieved. I think the role of committees, in large part, is to deal with line departments and ministers on how they spend their resources. I think that's what Canadians expect of us.
I'm glad you raised that, Ms. Duncan. It completely escaped my mind. I'm not sure if it was on the minds of other members.
I'm wondering if the clerk could give us at least a month's notice to say here are the drop-dead dates. We can start planning so that we know, the minister knows, and the parliamentary secretary knows, in fairness, that we have more time allocated for the estimates process.
I've heard from a lot of constituents who follow these things, who say,“Well, aren't you meeting for longer periods of time than an hour with a minister to deal with a billion-dollar budget?” It seems to me that the estimates process is more important than that.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
I want to draw everyone's attention to Standing Order 115(2). This is in relation to committees. It says: “During periods coinciding with the hours of the sitting of the House, priority shall be given to the meeting of committees considering legislation or Estimates over meetings of committees considering other matters.” So it is our responsibility to consider legislation and estimates as our priority work. It's right in the Standing Orders. We should be diligent and prudent, and we should be calling government officials and the minister to go over those estimates.
I have Mr. Wilfert and then Mr. Bigras.
Liberal
Bryon Wilfert Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Mr. Chairman, I have an observation.
My understanding is that there was an agreement among the House leaders, particularly because the government wants to get these estimates through. For example, the minister will be appearing at the national defence committee on Monday. He will be returning from Germany on Sunday night, I guess, and he will be there. So it is a priority.
Not to tell this committee what to do, but I would suggest that the estimates definitely need to be dealt with, and not just for an hour. The minister may only be there for an hour or whatever, but certainly his officials will be there.
Also, an issue I have is that those documentations should be made available well in advance to the members of the committee. Otherwise, how are the members of the committee going to review them if they are simply presented on the day of, which has often happened at some committees?
I understand the House leaders are all in agreement. They want to move this along. And I'm sure the parliamentary secretary will make sure that the minister is here.