Foreign Affairs Committee on Sept. 25th, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

We could be looking at November or December.

One other thing we may want to consider, too--and this may really work, although it's going to take away time from the democratic development study--is that if we do meet jointly, how often are we going to continue to meet?

If we do a fairly comprehensive study on Afghanistan, together with the defence committee, are we still going to keep our Wednesday and Monday meetings? Then we'll be able to open it up a little bit more. If we're doing Afghanistan then, we aren't going to have to be looking at it any more in these meetings. We'll be able to fit in Bill C-293 in one of those meetings. But it may end up that our committee then meets four or five times a week.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Where did you get this joint committee meeting idea? I thought when you just said that it--

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

It came out of our steering committee.

Let's add number nine here, that we ask the clerks to leave ample opportunity for the committee to study Bill C-293.

If Mr. McKay comes, it doesn't mean we're going to drop everything and only do that, but we can start putting together witness lists and things like that.

We have a mover. Do we have a seconder?

It is seconded by Mr. Martin.

(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

That's out of the way.

Will someone move that we send forward this budget to the liaison committee? I believe it's $35,600.

It is moved by Mr. Martin and seconded by Madame Bourgeois.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

We will also entertain a motion to move in camera. We have a confidential report ahead of us. These report studies are done in camera, which means that members of Parliament can be here, and one worker--one executive assistant or legislative assistant.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Yes, Mr. Van Loan.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Is it limited to members who are members of the committee? If there are other MPs, do they have to leave?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I don't know. I'll get some clarification here.

[The Clerk]

The committee's motion, to be perfectly clear....

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I think any member of Parliament has...according to Derek Lee, anyway.

[The Clerk]

You can't throw him out, but in the committee's motion, I think they'll say that it's members of the committee. But I'll double check that.

In camera meetings: each committee member be allowed to have one staff person present at the committee meetings. It's silent on members of Parliament.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I think it's probably allowable. It's silent on the fact of other members of Parliament, but I think it is confined to members of Parliament. All members of Parliament have certain rights, according to Derek Lee.

We will suspend and we will come back in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]