Evidence of meeting #2 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was commissioner.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Madame Pauzé, we will have to because that's what routine proceedings are and that's how committees operate. It's a friendly amendment that Mr. Redekopp has proposed, and unless somebody wants to talk to the amendment....
Do you wish to talk to amendment that Mr. Redekopp has proposed? No? Why don't I just take a vote on the amendment, unless somebody has...?
I'm sorry. I have Mr. Saini and then Mr. Godin.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Could you just outline the amendment? I'm not following it. Is the commissioner going to come for 30 minutes?
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Both the commissioner and the Auditor General are going to be at the meeting.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
We will follow the due process that we adopted, the routine motions we adopted, as to how the committee will function and the order of questioning. They will each be given five minutes to speak.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Madam Chair, I want the amendment clarified.
There will be a two-hour meeting attended by the commissioner of the environment and the Auditor General. They'll each have five minutes to give their presentations, for a total of 10 minutes. The committee members will have the rest of the time, one hour and 50 minutes, to ask questions.
Is that right?
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
I have a quick point. Because you're calling in the Auditor General and the commissioner, I don't think five minutes each really justifies what they have to say. I appreciate the fact that we have routine motions, but I think that sometimes we need to modify them. Right now, with five minutes for a commissioner or an Auditor General, after they say hello and do their introductory paragraph, the five minutes are up. If we're going to utilize their time efficiently, I think we should give them sufficient time to express themselves.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
We have adopted those routine motions for a reason. There were times when the witnesses gave us information that they had provided us in writing anyway. They were reading those notes, so it is better.... As we said, we would like them to provide their notes in both official languages before they come. We read the material and we read the environmental commissioner's report and we are prepared, because we have to ask questions. We cannot let them talk us out. That's the reason why this was brought in, so that's the way the routine motions have stayed.
Madam Collins.
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
Can I call the question on the amendment to delete the section “that they will be given up to thirty (30) minutes for the briefing”?
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Basically, you're calling the question on the amendment that the 30 minutes be eliminated, correct?
Mr. Clerk, can you take the vote, please?
(Amendment agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0)
Mr. Clerk, was Mr. Redekopp's hand up? I do not know. I'm just looking at my text. If Mr. Redekopp does not have anything to say, then I'll go to Mr. Schiefke.
Could you confirm, please, Mr. Redekopp?
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
You said very eloquently what I wanted to say, so I'm good.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Peter Schiefke Liberal Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I'm wondering, Madam Chair, whether or not my colleague Ms. Collins would be amenable to changing the wording and not making it specific to the fifth meeting.
I think all of us are in agreement here that we would like to have the AG appear, as well as the commissioner, and I think we also want to have the minister appear. Knowing their schedules, I think it might be difficult. If we find out that the Auditor General has something on that day, or that perhaps the commissioner has something on that day, with us not being able to get them, I'm wondering if she would be amenable to leaving it to the steering committee to say “at the earliest possible convenience”, so that we can interchange the schedules of the minister as well as the Auditor General and the commissioner.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you, Mr. Schiefke, and I think Mr. Jeneroux posed the same question.
Madam Collins.
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
I would be amenable to that suggestion, as long as we were to add “no later than November 10”.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Okay, so you're now tying the Auditor General and the Environment commissioner. If you put a date on it and they both are not available, what are you going to do?
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
My understanding is that we're going to have a number of meetings before that, especially if we end up switching to two meetings. There will be another time in the week of the 2nd as well as the 9th, and hopefully the commissioner and the Auditor General will be able to come. I feel that if the minister can make time before November 6, I think the Auditor General and the commissioner can also make time.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
4:45 p.m.
Liberal