Evidence of meeting #1 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
That's a deadline we have as a committee, assigned to us by the House to report back on supplemental (C)s.
NDP
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
On supplementary (C)s, if we don't have the minister appear between now and three days before March 23, which is March 20, then it's just deemed that we've accepted the supplementals without any questioning. That's on supplementary (C)s. We can still have the minister appear later on the main estimates. It's up to you if you want him here on the supplementary (C)s or if you want to hold off until he can get here on the main estimates.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
To my understanding, he's prepared to appear now on both the mains and on the supplementaries.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Right, but if the circumstance occurs that we have to depart before we get a chance to even question him properly, I think it's important to reserve the opportunity to request that he come back so that we can have the thorough discussion that's merited on the mains. There is no deadline.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Mr. Chair, just moments ago the government House leader said in the House, if I recall, that the government's prorogation annulled 22 sitting days in the House of Commons. One of the problems we're facing now, as we bottleneck towards the work that's been presented by Mr. Warawa, or the motion that I presented...we're bottlenecked because 22 days of working time has evaporated.
We have until March 23. I can't recall how many sitting days that is. It's generous of the minister to offer us one hour between now and the 23rd. We are sitting next week, the constituency week, the March break week, our children's week, because the Prime Minister decided to have this House of Commons sit. So I'm asking the chair here, perhaps with a letter to the minister, to explore the possibility that we don't have to simply meet with the minister during normal sitting times of this committee. There are all kinds of flexible times in which the minister can join us. We have many days from now until the 23rd, and I'm sure the minister's schedule is not so busy that he can't give us more than one hour in the next....
By calculation, Mr. Chair, how many sitting days do we have until the 23rd?
Liberal
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Okay. Perhaps in your letter you could express the situation with the committee for the minister. I'm sure the minister will want to accommodate this, and I suspect most of us would want to accommodate that flexibility here.
But as for Tuesday night, we know we have votes, Monday night we have votes, and I have another event at six o'clock sharp that has been booked for months, so I've got to be out of here probably at 5:20, Mr. Chair.
That's my suggestion. You may want to take that into consideration when you write to the minister going forward.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Just in response to the 22 days, Parliament has agreed to work during 10 days, so that is 12 days and not 22 days.
Hopefully, every member of this committee used that time wisely and carefully and did not do anything in the way of political gamesmanship. I know I worked very hard during that time.
So as far as the motion being specific, an invitation to the minister, I'm supportive of that. As far as having it televised, I'm supportive of that. Then, through the clerk's office, we need to come up with a time that works for all of us. If there's a possibility of being flexible, I'm sure the minister will make himself available.
The difficulty is I've seen his calender; it's extremely busy, and it may be difficult to find a time before the 18th because of his availability. Maybe we're going to be looking at the 23rd. That may be the more practical time to get him here.
Anyway, I just put that before committee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
We have a motion on the floor. Are there any more comments?
(Motion agreed to)
Mr. Warawa.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Chair, I would like to move that the remaining motions be dealt with at the steering committee on Tuesday, the 16th, including what I have passed out as a proposed agenda.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
So those motions that you're asking....
Since we didn't have them tabled it's not actually a dilatory motion, is it? Yes, it is a dilatory motion.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
That we postpone the consideration of these two motions until the next meeting.