Environment Committee on June 19th, 2017

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

You want to stay in camera?

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

I don't think we're in camera.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

We're not in camera yet, but if you want to go in camera—

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Before we go into camera, I have other issues that I'd like to get into.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Okay. Go ahead and then we'll move in camera.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Not on the issue of our previous report, but in relation to our summer work, I previously indicated that so as to ensure that we have a minimum of problems with our House financial administration justifying expenses to attend specific environmental conferences, such as those outlined by our research staff, I propose—and I hope we'll get unanimous support—a motion: that the members of this committee be encouraged to attend, on their own members' office budgets, conferences or environmental or sustainable development-related events that occur over the summer.

I say this because I had this issue last year. I tried to go to an environmentally oriented event and the House administration turned around and said this is out of riding, what's the justification, were you invited...?

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Even with the special fund?

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

If you're not invited, you can't justify using the special fund. I had this hassle. This is why—

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

I never heard of such a thing.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

—I'm looking to pre-empt all these hassles.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

As long as there's a meal, right? That's my one condition: that there be a meal.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

I appreciate it, but unfortunately, Ms. Duncan, you're not the one deciding in the House financial administration whether we get reimbursed.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I've never heard of that, so that is concerning.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Yes. We have a great list of events that are coming up. We also may be invited by colleagues, members of Parliament, to come to their ridings to discuss with their constituents the work we've been doing on the standing committee. I think it is also very important that we be able to do that.

I wanted to propose a resolution with the following terms: that the members of this committee be encouraged to attend environmental conferences or other such events or visit parts of Canada with a view to explaining the work of the committee over the course of the summer. Something simple like that....

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

At their own discretion.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

It's at their own discretion and pursuant to their own member's budget.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

All right. We've heard it.

Linda.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I'm not comfortable with that at all. We all do outreach all the time. I don't think it's the business of the committee what we as individual members do in going out to meet with people.

If you are invited to present to any community organization—a university, an institute, whatever—it's to do with your work in your critic portfolio. If it's your critic portfolio, it's defensible. Never in nine years have I ever had an issue. That's what the conditions are. I don't want to put a qualifier on that I can't go out there except that it's through the committee. I don't think it has anything to do with the committee that I'm doing outreach. If somebody is interested in hearing about some of the work we've done, I'm happy to try to fit it into my schedule. If I have special points, sometimes I might use my own personal points, but I don't see that it has anything to do with the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Jim.

[Jim Eglinski, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

I want a clarification. I was under the impression that if a fellow member calls me to his riding to assist him on something like that, it is on my dollar, and there is no way you can claim it otherwise.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Right. He's not saying—

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

He's saying that he had a hard time doing that last year.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

If it's political, but if you're invited to present to a community.... If you are speaking to his constituency association, it is on your own dollar, but if you are invited to speak to his town or his veterans' association, whatever, no, it's a special point....

[Jim Eglinski, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

I just wanted to clarify that and make sure we all understood that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Mr. Gerretsen.