Evidence of meeting #2 for Subcommittee on Food Safety in the 40th 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.
Bloc
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
I wasn't being critical of the fact that Mr. Allen is unilingual. I simply would have liked you to block the distribution of unilingual documents.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Based on the discussions we had, I would expect the clerk could come forward at our first meeting with a rough schedule of witnesses. We're in agreement on starting with the CFIA, Health Canada, and a couple of others that we talked about earlier.
It is two weeks until our first meeting. It would be useful if the clerk could make contact with the individuals on here. I'm sure others will be added, but the clerk could come forward with a work plan laying out when those witnesses would appear.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
That is exactly what I'm hoping to do, Wayne. If the clerk's time allows it tomorrow, we'll do that. Then he can go ahead, and we'll at least have the first four meetings--two a week--ready to put before you as a schedule. Hopefully they'll all be booked and ready to come. I see no reason why we can't do that, especially when they'll have two weeks' notice.
Go ahead, Mr. Bellavance.
Bloc
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
I have a suggestion to make about the schedule. Since we've agreed that our schedule was flexible and that committee meetings could go on until 10 p.m., it would be a good idea if the clerk could schedule as many witnesses as possible for our first few meetings. That way,we would be sure to get to all of them. Everyone understands that there are not that many meetings left from now until June and the summer recess. It would be a good idea to invite as many witnesses as possible to testify early on in the process.
That's my suggestion: use up the entire time slot, if possible. If we have fewer witnesses at one meeting, then we'll wrap up at 8 p.m. However, it would be nice to use up the full time slot, if possible.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
Thank you, Mr. Bellavance.
I think we have that in the motion. It allows for the timeframe. We will do that in there. I would be quite surprised if we don't have some six-hour meetings.
I think we all know that once you get sitting around here, sometimes for three hours or more, you're not as sharp. At the same time, there are a number of witnesses, and I think there's a commitment on all sides to get to all those witnesses. Having two meetings a week certainly gives us a little more leeway. We may have more meetings, but they may not be quite as long. As long as you'll allow us to work on that, I think we can get through this witness list.
Go ahead, Ms. Bennett.
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
The Library of Parliament has the capacity to set up a website. I would also like the phone number and the e-mail address of the clerk to be clearly supplied on the website for anybody who would like to testify in camera.
Next, I would urge that the work plan have a space for one in camera meeting for people who may not feel comfortable testifying. Wherever they work, people who are worried about their jobs--and not just government people--need to be able to make that kind of discreet request to help with the work of this committee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
First of all, Ms. Bennett, I might be wrong in saying that I don't think you need a website in order to contact us or to appear here in camera, but I don't think I am. I don't know whether any of the committees has a website. I honestly can't tell you that.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
I would like the Library of Parliament and the clerk to look to the work we did in the subcommittee on persons with disabilities, because there was almost a library of documents and a way that citizens could help us do the work.
This is about rebuilding public confidence. I think they need to look at the documents that we're looking at and have easy access to everything. I want to know if there is any way the Library of Parliament could help with the creation of such a place, a place where citizens can actually follow the work of this committee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
Duncan was just saying that there's a committees directorate website for all of the committees, and that could probably be used to do what you're suggesting.
We'll go back to the in camera issue. As Wayne mentioned earlier, we have had witnesses at the agriculture committee who were in camera, and for a reason. I would suggest, Ms. Bennett, that the witnesses we contact will indicate that they want to appear in camera when that is the case. The clerk will then basically bank them. We will probably get more than one, or at least there's that possibility. Certainly anybody can request an in camera meeting if there's a reason. I don't see that being an issue.
Go ahead, Mr. Anderson.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I was just going to point out the website--
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
Again, my concern is for it to be as easy as possible for witnesses to come forward to this committee, and for them to have a discreet way of coming forward to the clerk. That's all. I just think it's hugely important that people who know something that could be helpful....
We don't know who those people are. They need an ability to come forward knowing that their names will never be seen anywhere and that we will treat their testimony with the utmost confidence.
Conservative
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I think you've made the point that we'd be glad to do that for them. Certainly I think this subcommittee is going to get a fair amount of attention. If people want to appear, they'll know we're doing our work. I think they'll contact either you or the clerk of the committee.
NDP
Malcolm Allen NDP Welland, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I hear what Ms. Bennett is saying around this issue of confidentiality and those who, for whatever reason, may not want to actually appear publicly. I think we can ask the clerk to ensure that we have the mechanisms in place to allow that to happen. It has happened in other committees. It did indeed happen with the folks who work in the sex trade; a group of prostitutes testified without being identified.
I think we may indeed find that some folks may want to give us some testimony or information but do not want it attributed back to them in public. It seems to me that if we ask the clerk to do that, it would be appropriate to do so.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
As I said, Mr. Allen, I think that's certainly something we can deal with when the time comes. It's certainly allowable.