Finance Committee on June 11th, 2019

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

Don't worry.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

All right. With that, thank you.

Sorry; yesterday we talked about the pre-budget consultations at subcommittee, and we didn't decide on a theme.

I don't think we need to go in camera, do we, to talk about a theme...?

This year being an election year, we really don't have to go with a theme. We can just go with pre-budget consultations, and the Library of Parliament folks can have fun all summer getting that all together and reading it. We have three suggestions, really. We could leave it just as a press release that's wide open. Suggestion two would be “investment and innovation for a 21st century economy”, and suggestion three would be “climate emergency: the required transition to a low-carbon economy”.

Mr. Richards.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Mr. Chair, a third option for the new government could be “cleaning up the Liberal mess”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Well, that would be a fourth one, but I don't think we'll get agreement on that one.

[Kim Rudd, Liberal, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Of course, we're not in camera. There's a lesson learned.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Yes, that's true.

We're still cleaning up the mess from the last crew.

In any event, is there any—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, that's the kind of partisanship we don't need in this place. Geez.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Yes, Mr. Poilievre.

Are we agreed? Do we want to go with a theme, or just leave it open?

Mr. Dusseault.

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

I vote for number three.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

You're suggesting number three.

Number three, which is now on the table, is “climate emergency: the required transition to a low-carbon economy”.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

There was another one you mentioned. It was about innovation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Yes: “investment and innovation for a 21st century economy”.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

I'll support that one, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Let's go with all three; we won't go with the fourth one.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Aw, Mr. Chair, come on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

We'll go with whichever one gets the majority.

[Kim Rudd, Liberal, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

I like them both.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

One is to leave it wide open; two is “investment and innovation for a 21st century economy”; and three is “climate emergency: the required transition to a low-carbon economy”.

Who's in favour of just leaving it wide open, where everything's out there? I see two hands.

How many are in favour of “investment and innovation for a 21st century economy”? One.

What about “climate emergency: the required transition to a low-carbon economy”? That one has it.

So we're agreed: That's the theme. We'll put it in the press release.

With that, thank you all for your co-operation. We'll see you at 3:30.

Mr. Dusseault, you should be happy.

We are adjourned.