Evidence of meeting #32 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 oda.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:40 p.m.
Bloc
Vivian Barbot Bloc Papineau, QC
But that hasn’t got anything to do with it. Let’s say I decide to take the plane all by myself. I’ll be given the equivalent of what it cost me. The same logic should apply.
5:40 p.m.
Bloc
Vivian Barbot Bloc Papineau, QC
When we go—
When we go elsewhere, let's say they give us first class. If I decide to take another trip, but I go and come back, they give me the equivalent of the money to have—
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Yes, but someone is still paying for that flight. We're talking about two flights. Right now, it is part of a travel point system, where we can leave Canada from Montreal, Ottawa, or wherever and travel to Washington and come back for a point.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
They would, but then they won't give us.... Somebody still has to pay for the Washington to New York and then back to Washington.
But our point is that we don't want to come back to Washington. We want to go Ottawa-Washington-New York-Ottawa.
5:40 p.m.
Bloc
Vivian Barbot Bloc Papineau, QC
But what I'm arguing is that if we're not going back to Washington, we should be entitled to have the equivalent money, because we're coming back home anyway.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Yes, but someone has to pay it, and it comes out of a different budget.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
We can't, because the policy is clear that Washington and back is a point.
Madam Barbot, the reason for this is so that we can't go to Washington and then to Florida and back, or to anywhere else in the States and back.
5:40 p.m.
Bloc
Vivian Barbot Bloc Papineau, QC
Yes, but what they're paying is just Ottawa-Washington. So it doesn't change anything for them.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
But it does for somebody. It's a different budget that the point system comes out of than Foreign Affairs—
5:40 p.m.
Bloc
Vivian Barbot Bloc Papineau, QC
Yes. So I say the points should pay Montreal-Washington, back and forth, that's all, and the rest is in the other budget.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Yes, but what we're going to try to do is convince them that we are willing to use up a point for that complete travel.
5:40 p.m.
Bloc
Vivian Barbot Bloc Papineau, QC
And I'm saying that if they don't agree to that, at least we should have the equivalent money for Washington.
5:40 p.m.
The Clerk
As I understand the situation, it's a policy issue. The point can only be used for travel between A and B. Since we're going from A to B and then to C and back to A, they won't give us the equivalent.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
That's why it's important that we talk to our whips. What you suggest makes absolute sense. But we have to convince our whips to go along with this.
Mr. Patry.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
I just want to pinpoint the fact that even if we talk to our whips and they agree, if they don't have an official Board of Internal Economy meeting and it's not accepted at the meeting—even if they agree outside an official meeting—it's not going to be accepted.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
5:45 p.m.
Liberal
Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
I don't know where they meet. We need to talk to them. This looks very good. There is no problem.
I want to point out to you that we'd better ask for the full price on any seat, because we're just going to Washington and New York. At that time, ask for the full price, and if you agree that we travel, we can use a point. We can save a lot of money.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
I'm still going to ask for this complete budget. It may come in as less than that.
5:45 p.m.
Liberal
Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
It may come in as way less than that, but I think we should ask them to go to Washington and New York and come back. They pay or we use one point, because it's about the same price. If you go to Montreal and Washington, back and forth, it's so much money, maybe $800. If you just go to Washington, it's going to cost you $900 or something. The price is very ridiculous.