Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thanks to our clerk for going the extra mile there and figuring out our way forward here.
I just wanted to clarify a few things that have been said in terms of my intent with this motion.
Going to Monsieur Blais' comment or suggestion, I think it is a good suggestion. That is essentially the intent of what I was hoping with this motion. I think the word “study” may be confusing, but essentially what I'm hoping is to have DFO officials come and clarify the situation as to perhaps process.
I was approached on this by first nations. They wanted to speak to this committee on the issue and they're very concerned about the proposal. Regardless of cabinet's decision, they did want to speak to this committee. They impressed upon me the importance of that. I'm quite fine if this committee has other parties it would like to include in this discussion. What I'm hoping to have is a hearing, a limited hearing--one committee meeting, ideally--where we hear from the parties involved. In this case, I would like to propose that there are several local first nations groups that are very concerned about this.
In terms of the process that was raised earlier, I just want to refer to earlier in the year where we had two motions that were not on the work plan, that were not dealt with at subcommittee, that were in fact dealt with exactly like this and ended up becoming our work plan.
One was on the snow crab issue and the other was actually on the aquaculture issue, both of which we're studying right now. I just want to remind the committee, and being a new committee member, that's what I'm used to.... I'm certainly open to amending the process, learning how we do things and how we operate, and changing accordingly. I'm very open to that.
Secondly, I think the word “study” in the motion may have caused confusion, but I think Monsieur Blais has mentioned what he feels would be a good way forward, which is what I was hoping and intending with this motion, which is to have an initial hearing of the concerned--in this case, the concerned party being the first nations.
I think I will leave it at that.