Evidence of meeting #10 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was obhrai.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
I know what Bernard is saying about procedure and all these things, but I'm having a little difficulty here. I really am having difficulty. The motion that I have put forward, if we discuss it in a comprehensive manner, with the dates the clerk has proposed, would put this whole thing into the picture and move it forward.
What you're trying to do here--with all due respect to you, Mr. Chair--is you're trying to put a little potion on here in order to fix it. But at the end of the day, when we have the bigger debate, we're going to start having difficulties with that. I suggest we look at the bigger picture here and try to put all the i's and t's together.
My motion doesn't call only for Mr. Manley. It calls also for other witnesses--the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of International Cooperation. It calls for everybody inclusively.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
But I have to stick with procedure, Mr. Obhrai, and this is before us. This is the steering committee report. What we have to do is pass this report so that we can do--
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
If I recall correctly, Mr. Wilfert had said that he would provide the response to my motion today, in the steering committee.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
I'm hoping we can talk to that motion today. I'm not certain if the opposition will allow it, but I would think--
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
I will put my argument. They're nice people, very understanding people, so I'm sure with my argument they will listen.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Thank you very much, Mr. Obhrai, for that interjection.
Madame Barbot on this.
Bloc
Vivian Barbot Bloc Papineau, QC
We had not decided whether Mr. Manley would come to the committee. We have to decide today. At the end of the second report, instead of saying “to appear before the Committee,” we could say “to appear eventually.” This way it would be clear that we have not decided he should come.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
This was the report we did on Tuesday. This has already happened. You're saying, then, that we amend it, that the clerk inquire--as she already has done--into the availability of Mr. Manley to appear before the committee. But that doesn't mean we're going to call him.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
It really doesn't add anything, that the clerk inquire as to whether or not he's able to come to committee. That doesn't mean she's booking him.
We have to know if he's available in February, in March—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
In case we decide to call him.
Do I have a motion, then, Mr. Dewar?
NDP
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
I just want to quickly point to the fact that the motion in front of us doesn't preclude us from inviting Mr. Manley; that's established. We'd asked to see when he was available. That's been done.
If we're going to Mr. Obhrai's motion next, is that the order? I'm just trying to follow the bouncing ball around here.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
I'll tell you what. We had a commitment from Mr. Wilfert that we would deal with it on Thursday. We asked, all of us, and we said we'd deal with it on Thursday.
NDP
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
There are other motions there. I think whether it's a yes or a no, the commitment was made for the Thursday. So that's what we have to know, one way or the other.
Liberal
