Finance Committee on Feb. 1st, 2017

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Can we come to order? The bells are ringing. We should be able to get the presentations in before we go to vote, and then we'll come back and have questions.

I know you asked to deal with one issue first.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Obviously we're very happy to hear that there's been such interest in this topic. It is important for us as parliamentarians to deliberate on some of the policies of the government, so if we are going to be adding...how much time, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Two.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Two meetings?

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

One meeting.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Is it one meeting of four hours?

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

We were thinking three.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Okay. Would that cover it? I talked to my colleagues today and we also figured that due to many of the concerns that were raised and the fact that so many of the officials from different government agencies weren't able to speak from a holistic sense on the importance of the issues, perhaps we might want to have the Minister of Finance and his officials come in so that they can answer many of the questions that many parliamentarians—I think from many of the parties—have about the mortgage changes. I think this would probably clarify things in the minds of Canadians quite a lot.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

That's your suggestion at the moment.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

It was your suggestion, so I'm suggesting along with you that if we do that—

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

It was not my suggestion.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

You suggested it the other day. If we have another meeting, could we add the Minister of Finance to it? I think it would be helpful.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

I think the only way we could deal with that is if there was a motion to that effect. If you want to give us notice of that motion, we can deal with it.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Are we talking about the business of adding to it? Wouldn't that be part of that?

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Yes.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Okay, so I don't need a motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

It would require an extra meeting. We have the three hours, which are witnessed up.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

If you want to propose notice of a motion to have an additional meeting—

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Would I need notice of motion, Mr. Chair, since we're already talking about the subject?

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

It's the same study.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

I don't think I would need it. Great.

I make the motion that we invite the Minister of Finance to bring along his officials to discuss many of the housing issues, particularly the mortgage policies and perhaps some of the other policies that he's concurrently consulting on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Okay, the motion is before you. It's up for discussion.

Are there any thoughts?

[Nicholas Hamblin, President, Atlantic Chapter, Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association]

I certainly don't see any harm in having the minister present.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

We'll call on the witnesses later. This is internal to the committee at this moment. It is a public meeting and that's fine.

Mr. Albas, you have the right to put the motion.

Mr. Sorbara.