Fisheries Committee on Dec. 1st, 2011

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

I anxiously await your explanation, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

As members of Parliament, when we book flights, we book the full fare and that gives us the flexibility to change flights, so if something comes up and we're not able to make it on that trip, we can change and we don't lose the full value of that flight. If you look underneath that, you'll see that the staff are at the reduced fare economy class, because if they do, they don't have the option of not following through on that.

That's the difference.

When we book a full-fare flight, obviously it's at a higher price.

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

I'm just saying that with the full fare, it's almost like flying out of Fredericton, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Yes.

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

It's almost as bad.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

I agree. Or it's like flying to B.C.

For members of Parliament, it has to be the full fare.

Mr. MacAulay, you have a question?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I've tried to save us some money over the years on that, and if you have to touch the ticket, you just can't do it. That's what you have to do, because if anything happens, you lose it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Yes, thank you.

Mr. Kamp.

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

The budget is indicating that a hotel room is $350 per night in Washington.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Yes. The difference there, from the last budget, is that in the last budget that was before you here on Tuesday, it was $200 a night, and we've adjusted the number of nights, obviously, from one night to two nights as per the request. But the reason for the difference in the unit price is that the other was outside of Washington. This is downtown Washington, and that's why there is the difference in the unit price.

Downtown Washington has a premium rate, to be very frank.

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

It's pretty pricey.

I guess my suggestion would be that we go to the Liaison Committee with this, but if it's looking as though the committee has an appetite for a 20% reduction, then we take away the one night and we make it work as best we can and do it for $50,000 instead of $62,000.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

That is the thing, too, Mr. Kamp. We would go, and the budget would be no more than the amount requested. Obviously, if we can reduce that cost within that number, we will, but it would be no more than this amount that's requested.

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

I guess I would prefer to offer up the other night rather than having a reduction in the number of people on the committee. That's our first offer.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

I appreciate that. Thank you.

Mr. Allen.

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Considering the discussion, I move the adoption of the budget.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

If there are no further questions, Mr. Allen has moved this budget. We have an official motion, and I'm going to attach your name to it, so I'm hoping you'll move it:

That for the study on Closed Containment Salmon Aquaculture, the Committee travel to Shepherdstown, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

That's been moved by Mr. Allen.

(Motion agreed to)

I have a second motion I would like to ask someone to move.

That, in relation to the study on Closed Containment Salmon Aquaculture, the proposed travel budget in the amount of $62,559.60 be adopted and that the Chair present the said budget to the Subcommittee on Budgets of the Liaison Committee.

Do I have a mover for that?

It's moved by Mr. MacAulay.

(Motion agreed to)

The other item we have to discuss today before you take off was on the motion brought forward by Mr. Donnelly at our previous meeting. We asked the clerk to contact the minister's office to check into the availability of the minister. The minister's office has replied that the minister would not be available before December 6. He's offered up his staff to come and appear before the committee.

I didn't ask the clerk to book it until I checked with the committee to see if that would meet with the approval of the committee. If that is the case, obviously we have one meeting left, on December 6, to be able to have that discussion with staff if that's the desire of the committee.

Are there any thoughts?

Mr. Kamp.

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

Yes. I don't oppose that, but I would just like to note that with the last supply day being Monday, as was announced today, then the supplementary estimates (B) are deemed reported as of today, I think, or Friday at the latest. I never get it quite right.

Obviously we could talk to the officials about supplementary estimates, but we can't report any changes or do anything with that.

We did pass that motion, so I guess it's the will of the committee at this point, but we might want to consider whether that would be the best use of our time to do that or whether we should continue on with more witnesses on the aquaculture study.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Are there any other thoughts or comments?

Mr. Donnelly.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Chair, could we hear who we have lined up for the 6th?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

We have the Pattison Group supermarkets, SeaChoice, and Albion Fisheries.

Albion Fisheries is lined up for the second hour; the Pattison Group supermarkets and SeaChoice are lined up for the first hour.

We'll have Kelly Roebuck from SeaChoice; Blendle Scott and Betty Beukema; and Guy Dean from Albion Fisheries. That is what we have scheduled for Tuesday.

So it's up to the committee. Would you like to invite staff to come on Tuesday, or would you prefer to stick with the original plan and seek the minister at a later date?

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

In light of that, given the timeframe and the input we'd have after the fact, I think we should move forward with the original as planned. We were hoping to have the minister in to meet with the committee, but perhaps there'll be another opportunity to bring the minister in and ask the minister a few questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Are there any other thoughts?

Mr. Allen.

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

It's just a really quick point that I'll throw out to the committee; we can talk about it later.

We're getting to a point now where maybe, before the break, we would want to allocate a meeting during that last week, just to consider some thoughts on a preliminary drafting of a report and some ideas for the break time. I'm concerned with Kristen being busy.

I'm not sure where we're going to be, so maybe we can think about how much longer we want to go with witnesses and who we think might be applicable for the rest of the time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rodney Weston]

Thank you.

Mr. MacAulay.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

It would just be my guess, but I think if we're going to have that meeting, we need to have it soon.

Are we going to be here the following week? It's very questionable, but we want the meeting.