Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Hello, members. It's great to see everyone.
I thought it would be good for us to recap where we currently are, given where we left off in our last session.
We were disagreeing on the path forward for future business of the committee. The Conservatives had advised us that they were willing to filibuster to prevent the study of the fall economic statement. We decided to suspend so that further conversations could take place over the constituency week.
I'm not going to get into the details of those conversations out of respect for the confidence of all of my fellow professionals around this table, but I do think it would be valuable and probably productive if I could highlight where I think we fell short on our side. I don't actually think we're that far apart.
The biggest thing for us is not receiving certainty in being able to study the fall economic statement in a timely manner to make sure that its measures can be implemented to benefit Canadians. Those are measures like permanently eliminating interest on student loans and implementing the recovery dividend. Other measures are in there; I'm not going to go through all of them, but generically they are about growing the economy, making life more affordable and trying to keep our country on a viable and responsible fiscal track.
If we can find a way to close this gap—I think there is still a way—we can meet the needs of all negotiating partners at the table. I am somewhat saddened that we weren't able to do it over the constituency week, but maybe I can put on my “Adam Chambers socks” and find a path here in the room.
I would reiterate to my friends across the way that I have a track record, whether it be with the member for Carleton, the member for Abbotsford, the member from Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola—I hope I got that right; apologies to Mr. Albas if I got that wrong—and of course the member for Calgary Forest Lawn. I think we can still find a path and I am confident that we can find it today.
It might not be the exact way that negotiating members would be happy with, but if we zoom out and think about the working of this committee between now and Christmas, I think there's still an opportunity for a merry Christmas for everyone. That is my hope for what we can accomplish today.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.