Evidence of meeting #62 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amount.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Edward Short  Senior Tax Policy Officer, Tax Legislation Division, Tax Policy Branch, Department of Finance
Laury Ryan  President, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
Baxter Williams  Director, Personal Income Tax Division, Tax Policy Branch, Department of Finance
Peter Lewis  Vice-President, Administration, Canadian Scholarship Trust, Canadian Association of Not-for-Profit RESP Dealers
Marc Toupin  Procedural Clerk

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

No, are you interested? You'd be welcome to express an opinion, just to get these guys off the chair's back.

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

12:50 p.m.

Marc Toupin Procedural Clerk

I have to say to members that I'm the legislative clerk assigned to the committee. As such, I provide advice to the chair on the parliamentary procedure as it relates to the admissibility of amendments. I am not the drafter of the bill. The legislative drafter is not in the room at this time.

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

Thank you, sir.

Now we are on the amendment.

(Amendment agreed to)[See Minutes of Proceedings]

(Clause 1 as amended agreed to)

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

Shall the title carry?

12:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

Shall the bill as amended carry?

12:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

Shall the chair report the bill as amended to the House?

12:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

I'm sorry, I have one final question. Shall the committee order a reprint of the bill as amended for the use of the House at report stage?

12:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

All right.

Thank you, and congratulations to you, Mr. Fitzpatrick, on behalf of all junior hockey programs.

12:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a notice of motion from Mr. St-Cyr. The motion's been distributed, has it?

Monsieur St-Cyr, I'll invite you to speak to the motion, which is now being distributed.

12:50 p.m.

Bloc

Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC

All right.

A week ago, you received a motion requesting that our committee examine tax measures granted, among others, to oil companies, more particularly regarding the oil sands. We propose to determine whether it would be appropriate to reduce those incentives in order to transform them into renewal energy incentives. So we're talking about holding two meetings with witnesses and one meeting to prepare recommendations for the minister for the next budget.

I had made a similar recommendation in the context of the prebudget consultations, and it was rejected. I'm aware of that. However, I believe that the environment is once again a current issue. All the parties in the House attach an importance to it and to the measures that may be taken.

The purpose is to examine the question. We can then make recommendations to the minister, in one way or another. I think it's necessary to take a stand on this issue in order to show Canadians and Quebeckers that we're doing our job as they've asked us to do.

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

Thank you very much, sir.

I will encourage committee members, as we go into this discussion, to listen carefully to their colleagues and not till the same field twice. In the interests of all our time, that would be useful.

Mr. Pacetti, to begin.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

Yes, I would make a friendly proposal. Perhaps we can put off discussing this motion and have a steering committee meeting before Tuesday's meeting to discuss what is going to be coming forward in the next little while. The steering committee can then have a proposal for the rest of the committee as to its workings between now and the end of the session, or else all we are going to be doing in the next two to three months or so is having motions put forward by committee members as things come up, discussing whatever item of business that particular member has in his head at that particular moment.

So that would be my suggestion, but I'll leave it up to the rest of the committee.

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

Well, Mr. Pacetti is proposing we put aside this motion until Tuesday, until, say, about half an hour before our 11 o'clock meeting, to allow the steering committee to have a brief discussion on the issue.

Are you accepting of that, Massimo? Is that all right?

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

Even an hour before, because--

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

Okay. A steering committee meeting at 10 o'clock, followed by our 11 o'clock meeting, which is dealing with income trusts.

12:55 p.m.

Bloc

Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC

Mr. Chairman, I know there are a number of other issues to consider, but I'd like us to vote today on our committee's intention to examine this question.

Then it will be up to the steering committee to schedule meetings so that that works properly. But we have to vote today on the question whether we want to examine this point before the budget is tabled.

12:55 p.m.

Bloc

Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC

Mr. Chairman, I amend—

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister

Pardon me.

Order, please.

I want to know how to proceed and I need your advice.

Mr. Pacetti has made a proposal that I think precludes me from calling for a vote on the motion by Mr. St-Cyr. Is that correct? I have to deal with Mr. Pacetti's proposal, which constitutes an amendment.

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

My suggestion is not a motion. I am suggesting that.