Evidence of meeting #31 for Finance in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was debt.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Conservative
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Could I ask you one quick thing while the colleagues are still here? Can we un-gavel for a nanosecond?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Yes, I will un-gavel.
We'll thank the officials from the Department of Finance. Thank you very much for coming. We appreciate that.
Mr. Menzies.
Conservative
Ted Menzies Conservative Macleod, AB
Thank you, Thomas, for reminding me. I was so excited that we're getting out of here before 6:30.
There are some more names that we as an all-party group would like to suggest for pre-budget hearings. The one I would like to put forward is Special Olympics. Somehow we neglected to get them on our list, so I'd like to ask for unanimous support that the Special Olympics group be allowed too.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
I'm not opposed to any one group.
To be blunt, last fall I had members coming to me and saying there were too many meetings. We've added a motion today that is going to add meetings. I'm not opposed to adding any more witnesses. Any time a witness is added, though, I want it to be very clear that this means the chair will add meetings upon meetings this fall for pre-budget hearings.
We have about 430 who have submitted; I think 155 are now on the list. We're going to be adding more. I'm not opposed to that. I'm just saying let's be cognizant and let's not beat up the chair when names are added. The consequence of adding names to the list is more meetings.
I'm fine with that if committee members do that, with the knowledge that I will add meetings.
Mr. Menzies.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
We're both in a very delicate situation, because in both cases there was a group that thought they were going to be on it. It just slipped through the cracks.
I agree with his suggestion. I think we can understand that two more out of 155 is not going to add a heck of a lot of meetings.
I have one, which is number 122. This is the English list. It's the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action. We would have liked to hear from them. For some reason, the way the list got put together too quickly, we missed one. I take full responsibility for that, and I apologize to the colleagues.
If we could see our way free to allow Ted's and mine to be added, I think it would make an important contribution to our work.
Conservative
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Yes, we'd like to add five additional names: the Canadian Nurses Association, the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, the Pembina Institute, Canadian Clean Technology Institute, and Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, Rx&D.
NDP
Bloc
Daniel Paillé Bloc Hochelaga, QC
I do not want to keep people from dancing, but I would like to point out that people in our region have complained about not being selected. They were denied because of a rule mentioned by the clerk, according to which, briefs had to be submitted by August 15, if I am not mistaken. Again today, people in the riding of Saint-Jean told us how unfortunate it was.
If we start adding one name here and four names there, I am going to submit my list.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
All of these people have already submitted their requests.
Bloc
Daniel Paillé Bloc Hochelaga, QC
I know, but people need to wake up, and we need to buckle down here.
NDP
Bloc
Daniel Paillé Bloc Hochelaga, QC
No, I do not want to add any, just like that. We stopped the hockey game, and that is the end. In any case, you will do exactly what you want, as usual, but I take issue with what, to me, is a bit of an errant approach.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
We can adopt the names today, but frankly, my suggestion is that we set some time aside, perhaps later this week, to have an in camera discussion, because if these names are added, frankly, our offices are going to get flooded with calls from now on in--
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Chair, I think Mr. Paillé has just given his agreement.
I accept the Liberals' list as well as Mr. Menzies'. I can swallow the pill, but I still think it is a much better idea to settle this once and for all. If there are other requests, we will be able to provide a justified explanation.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Mr. Chair, I agree with your recommendation of having a further steering committee to address this issue. We've had to give the unfortunate news that not all the groups that would like to present to this committee...they weren't on the list. If we're now going to open it up again, the obligation on our offices is going to be to revisit the requests we've received since the deadline.
I really encourage you to gather the steering committee together and re-evaluate this question, because once the door opens, then we all have an obligation to go back to the groups that asked to be here and were not admitted the first time around.
