Subcommittee on Food Safety Committee on May 25th, 2009

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

Mr. Chair, I don't have a motion, but I do have a couple of things that are outstanding.

One is that we did pass a motion asking for the written briefing notes between Maple Leaf Foods and the minister. These notes were supposed to be here by May 8. It is now May 25. Have they been delivered to the clerk? They certainly haven't been delivered to me.

While I'm at it, I'll raise another question about information that was supposed to be forthcoming. The CFIA was asked to follow up with information regarding previous testimony, I believe, following questions I had asked of Mr. Cameron Prince, who was supposed to reply to us. He said that he understood and could provide it to us in writing as soon as possible. That was his response to the first question.

To the second question, he responded: “But we certainly can provide you with some data in that regard fairly quickly as to what was done in each of the plants.” Well, here we are a month and five days later, and I haven't seen it yet.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I haven't either.

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

I understand, but I'm not sure what the CFIA means by “quickly”.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

The clerk is looking through this again.

Would that be something the clerk could come back to us on and give us an update at the start of Wednesday's committee?

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

Mr. Chair, the problem, as Mr. Anderson noted in response to Ms. Folco—although his microphone wasn't on—is that we're getting near the end of the timeline. When we've asked for information and have been told that information will be provided as soon as possible, 35 days later isn't as soon as possible for a committee that ends in the middle of June.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Is the start of Wednesday's meeting okay to...?

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

Actually, the start of last month would have been a heck of a lot sooner, but that's not going to happen either.

The problem is, do we have it? I guess that's the first question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Well, I can't answer that, and the clerk can't answer at this moment either, Mr. Allen.

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

Well, why don't you e-mail me tomorrow then?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Anderson.

[David Anderson]

Mr. Allen's own motion says May 27. If you wait until May 27, I'm sure you'll have the information by then. There has been no information, and no witnesses have been denied to the opposition at any time during these hearings. He'll get his information, I'm sure, by the time his motion is in its completed stage or dates.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

It was denied today, David. Two witnesses were denied today.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

It was to be delivered by May 27, Mr. Allen. It says right here on the motion.

[David Anderson]

If it's May 28 and it hasn't been delivered yet, he can bring that up with me. If he wants to come and talk to me about this, it's probably more effective to do that than to bring it up here at 8:30 at night, because we can try to get this information for him.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay. If the briefing notes arrived today, obviously the clerk isn't aware of them.

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

So am I hearing that if I went across the aisle here, somebody would have given them to me earlier?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

You'll have to take that up with Mr. Anderson.

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

They were strictly requested, and an answer was provided to the chair. I guess the question to the chair back there is, if that's the case, why don't you just give them to me?

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, obviously I'm new to this committee, and there's something I don't understand. Am I to understand here that the information has been given to the clerk in answer to Mr. Allen?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

No. I guess the answer is no.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

But Mr. Anderson, as the parliamentary secretary, has the answer. Is that correct?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I'm not sure of that either.

[David Anderson]

No, what I said was that if he wants the information and he has some concerns about it, why doesn't he come to talk to me about it and we'll try to get it for him. I don't have any of this stuff with me.

In terms of his motion, until the date on the motion comes up, there's no complaint. If it's the 28th and nothing has come forward, then he has a complaint. He'll get the information.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Bellavance.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Back to Mr. Clement. If I have the committee's consent, I'd like to propose a motion right away that could be adopted immediately, that is: "That the subcommittee instruct the clerk to invite the former Minister of Health, the Hon. Tony Clement, to come and testify before the subcommittee stops sitting."