Evidence of meeting #16 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 39th 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.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

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.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

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

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

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]

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

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)

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

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.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Van Loan Conservative York—Simcoe, ON

Mr. Chair.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

Yes, Mr. Van Loan.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

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?

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

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

4:05 p.m.

The Clerk

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

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

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

4:10 p.m.

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.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

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]