Evidence of meeting #113 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was agency.
A recording is available from Parliament.
6:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Is everyone okay with having ECCC officials, without the minister basically?
6:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
It's for the main estimates, one hour on Tuesday.
Is that okay?
During the first hour, we will hear from the officials, as planned, but the minister will not be here. That's all.
Let's move on to the second hour.
6:50 p.m.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The second hour would be very beneficial. Before we head into the opportunity to read the redacted and unredacted versions of the contracts over the summer, there are still many outlying issues with the original motion, which contained three parts. The contracts were just one of them. What I would recommend is that we bring in Deputy Minister Kennedy, alongside the commissioner of the environment, the initiator of our entire awareness as a committee, as Canadians, about this entire project, to ask them a series of questions so we can better understand, from their perspective, what good this program is doing. We are going to be, I would say, better placed come the fall for that third meeting, whenever it happens.
6:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Mr. Kennedy is not available on Tuesday the 18th.
When we come back in the fall, when we do that two-hour meeting, they're supposed to come for the first hour.
6:50 p.m.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Do you not think it would it be reasonable for us to have the opportunity to ask questions so we are better prepared?
6:50 p.m.
Liberal
6:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
I'm trying to get a consensus.
What do you think, Mr. Longfield?
6:50 p.m.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
I think Tuesday we could do drafting instructions for the report on the study we've just completed, so that the analysts can prepare over the summer. I think we have a really good outline that we are working with. There may be some additions. We've had lots of things around the Canada water agency. Maybe that's a theme that the analysts can work in, but we could talk about that in drafting instructions, so when we do break for the summer, they know what they are working on.
6:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
That's a good point.
I'll go now to Mr. Deltell, because we're trying to get to a consensus in the next 10 minutes.
6:50 p.m.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
I want to make sure I understand what you said earlier. Will Deputy Minister Kennedy be here next Tuesday?
6:50 p.m.
Liberal
6:50 p.m.
Conservative
6:50 p.m.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
No, I'm really not happy about it either. He is, after all, the most senior public servant in the department's administration. If we want to do a good job with this, we need the top brass.
6:50 p.m.
Liberal
6:50 p.m.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
I understand, Mr. Chair. I'm sorry to put it this way, but I'm insulted.
6:50 p.m.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
We know the minister. He's not chicken. My goodness, we've invited him two or three times now, and it's never the right time and we have to reschedule him every time.
I see him in the House. He's not on a mission abroad. He's not off in Zimbabwe saving the planet. He's here in Canada.
6:50 p.m.
Conservative