Evidence of meeting #1 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Stephen Knowles
Erica Pereira  Procedural Clerk
François Côté  Committee Researcher

5 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

I would just move that Mondays and Wednesdays are fine.

5 p.m.

Conservative

Randy Kamp Conservative Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC

Could we start with that and try that at least?

5 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

Yes, we could try it, and if Blaine finds that he can't make it, then maybe we'll change it for his schedule again.

5 p.m.

Liberal

Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE

He can make it now, but he can't make it in the future.

5 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning

Mr. Lévesque.

5 p.m.

Bloc

Yvon Lévesque Bloc Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC

As regards the schedule that has been presented, the parties must delegate people who are available on those days. Changing the schedule today could delay committee schedules, since the two might not necessarily match up.

It was the members of the procedure committee who agreed to the proposed schedule, and the people representing the parties on those committees.

5 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning

We have a time slot. We have a motion by Mr. Stoffer. We have a time slot anyway, so I guess we don't need a motion. Thank you all the same.

5 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

5 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning

We're going to start with our slots as they are now, and if it causes a problem for the committee, we'll reassess that after a week or two and see how things are going. Would that be okay with everybody?

Mr. Matthews.

5 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Matthews Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL

Are we going to start meeting on Monday—

5 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning

That's the next thing now we have to figure out.

5 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Matthews Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL

And would the subcommittee meet before Monday?

5 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning

Yes, that's exactly where we're going now.

So we're settled on the slot that we have—3:30 to 5:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays—until we determine that we can't do that for some reason or other.

Everybody's okay? All right.

Now, today is Wednesday, and our next meeting is Monday. What's on the agenda there?

5 p.m.

A voice

Nothing.

5 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning

Okay, do you want to leave Monday for the steering committee to meet? Can we do that? I don't even know if we're allowed to do that. We're allowed to do it here, but where's the meeting? I'm the chair.

5 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

5 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning

The subcommittee will be meeting on Monday, and we'll be reconvening here on Wednesday at 3:30 for a full committee meeting, and we'll bring back a report of the subcommittee to discuss.

In the meantime, we know pretty well there's a consensus, I think, around the table from our discussions, that we will conclude our small craft harbour report. So after our Monday subcommittee meeting, we'll discuss the subcommittee report on Wednesday, and we'll try to gear something for the following Monday to start the process of clearing up our...because we only have two weeks left, four days to put.... And that's just if we need to hear anybody, and then we have to try to determine if we want to do any travelling.

I should address the situation with the travel. Should we resubmit a plan for travel?

I'm just trying to get some direction on where we go on the small craft harbour file because I sense the desire to clear that up, if possible, before Christmas. The clerk informs me that this would maybe be very tough because—correct me if I'm wrong—the subcommittee will report back to the main committee with a plan for travel. The main committee then would pass that plan to whom?

5 p.m.

The Clerk

It would go to the liaison committee. That is the committee of chairs of committees, Mr. Chair.

5 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning

Okay, it would go back to the liaison committee, who will basically have to make a presentation to—Holy God—now we know what the problem is.

5 p.m.

An hon. member

Now you know why you're getting the big money.

5 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning

Then that would have to come back, so our time slot here is very limited, and I don't think we can arrange it, really. Can we? No.

Mr. Matthews.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Matthews Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL

Looking at the time crunch we're in--and it's really that--we want to get something tabled in the House before Christmas. Otherwise the budget will be prepared and finalized before we table our report in the House, so we won't get the impact that we hoped for with the minister and his officials and so on.

I'm wondering if we can't consider a subcommittee meeting tomorrow, and then report to the full committee on Monday. Next week is going to go without any work--

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning

Yes.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Matthews Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL

It's just a thought.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Fabian Manning

Yes.