Evidence of meeting #131 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 chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
We have that motion in front of us. You've read it twice. It's in front of us. I can read it. With all due respect, we don't need to have you read it to us again. I'm quite capable of reading. I've read it many times.
Liberal
Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
I didn't, Mr. Chair. I asked about the Conservatives contributing to meeting those targets.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Just on that point, Mr. Chair, what you're saying is that the issue we are here to talk about today is a motion based on Standing Order 106(4). This is a very important point. A few days ago, we saw that the environmental commissioner tabled a report. It's not very funny for the government, which I can understand and recognize, but we want to hear from them and we want to go deep into it.
This is the motion we are tabling. This is the motion we are talking about. Go on with the targets, please.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
This is just another point of clarification. I want to make sure we're all very clear about what we're talking about.
While we're waiting, could we get this kind of mapped out? Let's say Mr. Sauvé's amendment passes. We would wrap up the witness testimony. I believe we have only one more meeting of witness testimony on sustainable finance. Is that correct? Then we would be waiting for the report to be drafted, which would take four weeks, the analysts said. In that four-week period, we would be able to get to some of the testimony that this current motion is calling for.
Is my understanding correct?
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
So the point that Ms. Taylor Roy made, that this wouldn't start until the new year, isn't actually accurate. This would actually start in November or early December, while we're waiting for the sustainable finance report to be drafted.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Dan Mazier
Yes. The committee will keep on rolling ahead with whatever study it prioritizes, which will be this one. There are still other holes to be filled up, which I'm sure the committee is well aware of. This is just bringing in another motion, an emergency study on the reports. So I think we're going ahead with this as planned.
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Since I'm new to this committee and I'm replacing one of my colleagues, I don't want to impose anything. I'm also a committee chair. I read in the notice that we're holding an emergency meeting today.
I'm listening to all the comments made around the table. My colleagues from all the political parties are making legitimate points. It seems that we're talking about agendas and schedules in order to proceed properly in the committee. Given that we're using expensive House of Commons resources when the House is on a break this week, I wonder whether it would be better to hold this discussion in the subcommittee.
I'm not imposing anything. I'm not moving a motion. I'm saying this to bring order or efficiency back to the committee—
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Dan Mazier
That's not really a point of order. It's not really relevant to the discussion of what's going on.
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Mr. Chair, as my colleague, Ms. Collins, was saying, I wanted to clarify something. I wonder whether we're getting off track and whether it would be more effective for the committee to adjourn the debate now and discuss this matter in the subcommittee. I'll make a suggestion and leave it at that.
Conservative
Liberal
Liberal
Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
Thank you.
I just want to clear up something that was said, because I think there's confusion in the committee right now as to when this emergency motion the Conservatives have brought forward would actually commence. I've heard something different from Mr. Sauvé than I've heard from Ms. Collins. Mr. Sauvé has put forward the amendment. I want to be sure, because I know that Ms. Pauzé was very clear about what she wanted done, that we are all on the same page in terms of what this amendment means.
Perhaps we could ask Mr. Sauvé, who has put forward the amendment, to once again reiterate, for Ms. Collins, what his understanding is and what this means for this emergency motion.