Evidence of meeting #11 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 43rd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was season.
A recording is available from Parliament.
The Clerk
Just to clarify, Mr. Chair, to be aligned with the motion adopted by the House, if the members are okay with the two budgets at the end, I will have to do a recorded vote.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Are the members okay with the two budgets, not just the Big Bar, but also the impacts of COVID-19 on the fishing industry stakeholders? The amount requested there was $2,250. Are there any questions on the numbers included in that one?
Bloc
Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
I have a question, Mr. Chair.
Bloc
Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
They don't necessarily have access to Zoom. We absolutely need phone lines for them so they can take part in the meetings.
The Clerk
I can provide some clarifications, Mr. Blanchette-Joncas.
The meeting is on Zoom, and the House interpreters are in the small interpretation rooms in the West Block on Parliament Hill. They must have a connection to ParlVu and interpretation.
This makes it impossible to operate as before, where a witness could simply use the phone to join the meeting. At the moment, it's impossible or very difficult, as we saw today.
Bloc
Liberal
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
I'm curious as to why they were only sent out five minutes ago when we're in the middle of a meeting. We could have managed a lot of these questions and saved some time if they had been sent out prior to the meeting.
The Clerk
I also wanted to have the signatures and the approval before and have been texting the chair during the meeting. I was definitely hoping to get the budget, but I got it at the very last minute and I sent it in a distribution to your P9 and all your staff as soon as I had a chance. I did not receive it before that. I got it at 4:50 p.m. Ottawa time today.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
I'm wondering why these two budget items can't be put into one document? We've got two separate budgets covering the same thing. Is it covering different individuals? One may be staff, one may be the witnesses. Is that correct?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
From my point of view, I think the reason they're separated, Mr. Fast, is these are two separate studies. They like to keep the expenses aligned with each particular study and each piece of work of the committee.
Nancy, can you confirm or explain it any further?
The Clerk
That's correct. For any study, as soon as a committee has witnesses or expenses, it has to adopt a budget.
Because the committee only had the Big Bar Pacific salmon officials in February or March, there was no cost. As soon as the members want to invite witnesses to a study, the committee has to adopt a budget. It can be modified over time, so at this time the budget is for $1,000 or $1,500, but over time if the committee wants to have more witnesses, the budget can always be amended down the road.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
If nobody has any further need for clarification, I'll ask Nancy to do the recorded vote on both budgets.
The Clerk
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
The vote is on the adoption of the two budgets for the Big Bar Pacific salmon study and for the study on the impacts of COVID-19.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Both budgets, big or small as they are, have been approved.
There's one other thing I'd like to get out of the way before we adjourn.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Mr. Chair, I have one other item as well, if I may.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
There is just a small motion that I'm going to propose here. On May 7, the Standing Committee on Finance hosted seven fisheries sector witnesses for the finance committee's study on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Testimony provided to the finance committee by the panel of fisheries witnesses provided many insights into the challenges facing the fish and seafood sectors. I believe that testimony would benefit our committee's study on the impacts of COVID-19 on the fishing industry stakeholders. I will have my staff forward the wording of this motion to the clerk, if he hasn't already started.
As such, I move:
That the committee adopt testimony from fisheries representatives received by the Standing Committee on Finance in the first half of their May 7, 2020 meeting so that the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans may consider that testimony as the committee studies the Impacts of COVID-19 on Fishing Industry Stakeholders.
Liberal
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
It sounds reasonable. I was at committee hearing that testimony and I think it's very important that it's part of this study.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you, Mr. Johns.
Are there any questions, concerns or thoughts from anyone else? If not, I'll—