Evidence of meeting #16 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 afghan.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Alex Neve  Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada
Hilary Homes  Campaigner, International Justice, Security and Human Rights, Amnesty International Canada
Grant Kippen  Principal, The Hillbrooke Group
M.D. Capstick  Associate, Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, University of Calgary
Gerald Schmitz  Committee Researcher
Clerk of the Committee  Mrs. Angela Crandall

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

Yes.

Following the line of Mr. Patry, do I understand we are going to be doing a study on Japan?

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

No.

Let's keep this part of it focused so we can get to the motion. No, there is no—

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

Don't push the thing. We want to discuss these things. Motions are motions, but let's go through it, let's have a debate.

5:10 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Richmond Hill, ON

I'm withdrawing the Japan one off the table.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

No, I want to know the intent. Do you want to tell us the intent?

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

I think we thought he would be available at that time, and he's not. Mr. Wilfert had asked to have him here, and it's not going to work out.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

So do I understand April 17 is open?

5:10 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Richmond Hill, ON

That's what I said earlier, it's now open.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

It's now open?

5:10 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Richmond Hill, ON

Yes, sir.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

All right, we can—

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

We can fill in there somewhere else.

I want to get back to Madame Barbot, so continue, Mr. Obhrai. Or are you done?

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

No, I'm not done. How can I be done with this?

Mr. Chairman, I want to go back. Now that April 17 is free....

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

We don't have to decide that. The steering committee can decide that later. This was the proposed one.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

So we can decide the dates, right?

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

Yes. All right?

Do we have a motion to accept Mr. Dewar's report?

5:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

Moving into our motions, the first motion that appears on the order paper is Mr. Dewar's motion.

Madame Barbot.

5:15 p.m.

Bloc

Vivian Barbot Bloc Papineau, QC

Mr. Chairman, I propose that we deal with the motion on the Omar Khadr case first, given the urgent nature of this matter and the fact that a trial is currently under way. It is extremely important that we come to a decision relatively soon.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

Madame Barbot has made a motion that we move in the order of priority. Her motion is one of the second-last motions that have been brought forward.

That becomes debatable. Madame Barbot has made the motion that the Khadr motion be brought forward to be discussed at this time:

Whereas Omar Khadr, a young Canadian, will soon be facing trial by military commission on allegations of war crimes; whereas he is the only foreign....

And so on.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB

Hang on. What do you mean, and so on?

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

You have it in front of you:

...and whereas his trial would be the first in which a tribunal would rule on war crimes committed by a child soldier, therefore it is proposed:

That the Committee invite to appear, as soon as possible, first and foremost, Omar Khadr's lawyers and experts to explain why they are calling for all accusations against Khadr to be dismissed; and

Secondly, that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and relevant government representatives be invited to appear before the committee to report on measures taken with respect to this file.

Here's the problem. The bells have started. We now need a motion and we have to have unanimous consent to continue.

We'll go to the clerk on this and she can tell us the House procedure.

5:15 p.m.

The Clerk of the Committee Mrs. Angela Crandall

Pursuant to Standing Order 115(5), the committee has to have a motion by unanimous consent to continue sitting once the bells have started ringing.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

Unfortunately, we do not have the time to continue on the other motions. The bells are ringing. So we thank you for your presence here today.

We are adjourned.