Evidence of meeting #4 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was study.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I believe that leaving the start date for that study at April 26 would be advantageous to the committee. We've often seen that because of time crunch the analysts need additional time to prepare drafts for the committee. If we need to, we can adjust as we get closer to that time to allow one study to start as we're waiting for the draft or the redrafts of the previous study.
Thank you.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Mr. Chair, perhaps we could make the suggestion that the Conservative study start no later than May 5, which would then give us whatever cushion we need to ensure that the other work is concluded in line.
February 1st, 2022 / 11:50 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
I think if we're in the middle of something, something might happen to bump us and it might not happen on April 26 by any motion that we move. As Mr. Cormier mentioned, the appearance of a minister or the availability of officials or witnesses as we go through might demand that we change the schedule. You have to cut the cloth sometimes to fit the table and we have the means to do that as a committee, as we go forward.
Saying “April 26” to start this motion or this particular study is great in a perfect world, but we know we don't live in that perfect world at this particular juncture of time. We could be interrupted by God knows what to throw it off that.
If you keep that in mind when you're trying to decide to vote on this or which way things are going, yes, it's a schedule, but that can get knocked off the rails pretty easily and we won't be able to stick to that exact schedule.
As chair, I think we would know as we go along if we're getting in trouble in terms of meeting that deadline or not meeting it, so we might have to adjust as we go.
Ms. Desbiens.
Bloc
Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like some clarification, because I missed some of what Mr. Perkins proposed. So I am having trouble following the rest of the discussion.
Would it be possible to repeat Mr. Perkins' proposal and go back to the order of Mr. Cormier's proposal?
Do I understand that Mr. Perkins' motion would be the third or fourth to be considered?
I'm a bit confused, I'm sorry.
Liberal
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Madame Desbiens, your interpretation is right. It's essentially adding the science study to the motion at the end, so that would be the next study we follow.
I will try to reread my handwriting and see if it comes out the same:
That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) the committee conduct a study proposed by Mr. Arnold concerning the use of science in DFO decision-making and that the first witness appear April 26, 2022.
Liberal
Bloc
Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
That's fine, thank you. So we were discussing when the first witness would appear. Is that correct?
Bloc
Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
All right. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
Serge Cormier Liberal Acadie—Bathurst, NB
I'd like to add something for Ms. Desbiens.
Ms. Desbiens, the proposed motion follows the same order. Mr. Hardie's would be first, followed by yours, followed by Ms. Barron's. Mr. Perkins has just moved that we add theirs, where the witnesses would appear as of April 26. So the order remains the same. The amendment only concerns the date for the first witness for the study requested by the Conservatives.
Are you okay?
Bloc
Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
Thank you very much, Mr. Cormier. Yes, I'm fine.
I just wonder if we are able to set dates, since we don't know how things are going to work out, as the chair was saying earlier. Does setting dates really change anything?
Liberal
Serge Cormier Liberal Acadie—Bathurst, NB
We have set dates to ensure that our studies will take place. Maybe we'll find other important studies to do along the way, but for now, we're setting dates to try to meet them while taking everything else into account.
Bloc
Caroline Desbiens Bloc Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île dOrléans—Charlevoix, QC
Okay. Thank you very much.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you everyone.
I'm reminded that it's like hoping for the best and expecting the worst. I think that's the way we've got to ride it.
Hearing no further discussion on the amendment by Mr. Perkins, we'll go to a recorded vote.
(Amendment agreed to: yeas 10; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 10; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Mr. Kelloway, you have your hand up.
Liberal
Mike Kelloway Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
I'm just wondering, Mr. Chair, if you have enough information now to set the calendar. Could the clerk draft a calendar, if possible, and circulate it to the members in due course?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Certainly, Mr. Kelloway, as soon as we can get it all put together, we'll send it out to the members, so we'll know what we're doing in a number of meetings going forward.
Mr. Zimmer.
Conservative
Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC
Mr. Chair, just to be clear, to the clerk, can you recognize all the studies that are going to be included in that calendar that Mr. Kelloway just referred to, so we are all clear on what to expect that calendar to include?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
I know Ms. Barron had her hand up as well before I get the clerk to respond.
NDP
Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
It feels a little out of order now, but I was hoping to put forward—and not take a lot of time on it hopefully—a motion, and was wondering if I could do that now.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
You can. We're in committee business, but we have to answer Mr. Zimmer's question first, I think, as to what the calendar would look like. We don't want to overlap too much. I'll get confused, and I'll fool up something that shouldn't be fooled up.
Mr. Zimmer, Tina's looking at our calendar now.
The Clerk
We would begin with Mr. Hardie's study on risks posed to wild salmon runs by flood control mitigation systems, followed by the study proposed by Madame Desbiens on traceability and mislabelling of seafood products. After that, it would be Ms. Barron's study on marine cargo container spills, and then we would move to the study proposed by Mr. Arnold on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' science.