Evidence of meeting #11 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
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
It's self-explanatory.
Anyone else on this motion?
Mr. Obhrai.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I spoke on this motion. When did it come back?
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
I spoke to this motion, and the government is committed to give a response to it. The government is now in the process of preparing a response. There is no question of the government's not giving a response to this motion. The issue is that they have to look at [Inaudible—Editor]...
The round table of conferences was quite an extensive exercise in corporate social responsibility. Coming out of it was a report. The government is committed to corporate social responsibility and is working towards getting this response made and approved. It will be quite an important response.
For us at this time the motion is irrelevant. The minster would tell you exactly what I'm telling you, which is that the government is in the process of preparing...
Why is this motion talking about the Minister of Foreign Affairs? It is not the Minister of Foreign Affairs who is going to give this response. It is the Minister of Trade, the Honourable David Emerson. Because it deals with extractive industry, as you pointed out in your motion, it is the Minister of Natural Resources who will be preparing and making the response. The Minister of Foreign Affairs cannot speak for other ministers. Only these ministers will be making the response, because it falls under their jurisdiction.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Can I ask a question of Madame Barbot or Mr. Obhrai? Would it be in order, Madame Barbot, for you to amend your motion to say “pertinent” or “whatever ministers”? Are you committed to naming the Minister of Foreign Affairs? It's not his jurisdiction. Would you be open to having other ministers appear on this?
Bloc
Vivian Barbot Bloc Papineau, QC
It still is linked to foreign affairs. I would have been amazed, when the mining report arrived, had it not had a foreign affairs component. Every minister will have input on this issue. That is crucial, given the importance of the matter. It could read “the lead minister”. That would not exclude any of the ministers, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
That's a friendly amendment. Would you agree with that motion? She has basically moved her own motion.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
Our difficulty at this stage is that we are saying there is no response.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
I'm just giving you my position.
Mr. Chair, what I am saying on this motion is that the government has not finished its response. This is asking for a response. We haven't finished the response.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Mr. Obhrai, if you look at the motion, it says: “following the tabling and release of the government's response”.
Obviously, it is after the government's response that they would be invited. We can still deal with it today. I don't want to give my opinion, but as I see it, if this thing is responded to, we can still invite the minister as soon as the government's response comes. We don't have to wait to deal with it until then.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
Mr. Chair, am I to understand that there will be a government response that is going to go to this thing...?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
It's still in order to adopt it now so the clerk can automatically do it at that time.
February 5th, 2008 / 5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
You mean once it is tabled. But with the chain of relevant ministers....
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
Mr. Dewar, I know this. You have been trying to get rid of me on this committee, and it isn't going to work.
Liberal
Roy Cullen Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Are we operating within the timelines? Have they exceeded the timelines?
Conservative
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Chair, this is the first time that I have replaced a colleague on this committee. I am very surprised at how this committee is run. I find that you have quite an imposing presence as chair. And I also find that the parliamentary secretary is very outspoken compared to the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, who listens and only speaks at the very end. So I am quite surprised.
The report was tabled in March 2007. We believe that by immediately adopting this motion, a very clear signal will be given to the government that it is time it table its response. The committee wants to hear the government's response and debate it. I can't see why all members of the committee don't support this motion since everybody wants to hear the government's response. It has now been almost nine months, and I think that it is time to debate it.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Thank you.
I'm going to backtrack on something I've said here, because this was not a government report that was given, was it? Then there are no timelines on the response.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
It's not something that the committee presented. A round-table conference presented the report, and it was tabled in Parliament.
