Foreign Affairs Committee on Nov. 20th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Good morning. This is meeting number 2 of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, Tuesday, November 20, 2007.

Today we meet to discuss the results of our steering committee work. The subcommittee on agenda and procedure met last week. You'll notice in the packet that's been given to you this morning that besides the motions that have been presented and the budget that will be looked at this morning, you have your report from the steering committee.

We want to first take a look at that; then we will have time for the remainder of the committee business. The only item that is on the agenda today is committee business. If everything works out as planned, next Thursday we'll begin with some legislation that's coming down the pike.

So take your report, the first report of the subcommittee on agenda and procedure.

On Thursday, November 15, we met and came up with some recommendations to this committee. All members of the steering committee were there. The committee decided that we could begin a study. In conjunction with conversations with the clerks and researchers, we felt that we could recommend that we proceed with the study of Bill C-9, An Act to implement the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States on Thursday, November 22, 2007, by inviting the Minister of Foreign Affairs and/or other senior departmental officials.

The rest of the report basically deals with a budget. We would want to adopt that budget, or at least make a recommendation to the committee to adopt a budget, and then move into our motions.

Mr. Obhrai.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Let me congratulate you on being the chair again, and of course Mr. Wilfert and Madame Barbot on being vice-chairs of the new committee—I'm sure we'll all be working very well together—and of course the new members who have come, Raymond Chan and Paul and everybody else. We're looking forward to the session.

And of course, Gerry, it's very nice to see you, and Angela, it's nice to see you again.

Having done the nice things, let's get to business.

Concerning Bill C-9 and inviting the Minister of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, November 22, the minister is not in the country, so that's not possible. I say we just leave it as “senior departmental officials” who are available and continue with that.

As well, I think we would like to propose a list of a few witnesses for this, so that we can listen to the so-called expert witnesses. We have a list of these, which basically just means the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and others who are out there.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

There is a list that had been drawn up before. The steering committee felt that this meeting could be done very quickly; that there wouldn't be a long, extended.... I think we're all—

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

No, there's not a long list of witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I know the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has asked to appear, and maybe a couple of other witnesses. After going through our steering committee, we saw in the paper this morning that the minister will be in Laos or somewhere, so he's not available. I think senior departmental officials would be sufficient.

Madame Barbot, and then Mr. Dewar.

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chairman, could we not go immediately to the motion about the presence of a Bloc Québécois member on the steering committee. As all of the parties agree with this motion, we could proceed immediately to consider it and be finished with it.

This is in regard to the motion that reads as follows: “That the Chair, the first Vice-Chair, a Member from the Bloc Québécois [...]”. This concerns the make-up of the steering committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Right. You're suggesting that...? This is with regard to who sits on the steering committee from the Bloc Québécois?

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

Precisely.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

We've already had our steering committee meeting. You're allowed one person on that committee, and you want to do a switch. Is that correct? Are you wanting to switch names on the steering committee?

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

Precisely.

The motion is on page 2.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Okay.

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

Everyone has already agreed to it, the whips have discussed it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I think that's something we can do. I don't know if we have to do that first off. We've already started on Bill C-9. May I suggest we just finish our discussion on Bill C-9 and then we go to the steering committee thing?

From what I understand here, that the chair, the vice-chair, a member from the Bloc Québécois, the parliamentary secretary do compose the subcommittee on agenda... You want a replacement on there, and I don't think there's any problem at all with that.

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

I am afraid we will not have time to get to this, if we go through all the other documents.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

All right. Are we all agreed, then, to changing the name on the listing for the steering committee to include...?

Mr. Dewar.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I wanted to establish the fact that I'm opposed, not because of the Bloc motion, but because of the McGrath committee, which in 1985 had recommended that we don't have parliamentary secretaries on steering committees. I know that had been the position of a previous party in opposition. I just wanted that on the record, and now you can go ahead and we'll pass your motion.

I wanted it to be noted, because it is something we actually have a problem with. The idea was that committees be independent, and having parliamentary secretaries on steering committees changes that. I don't know how the other parties feel, but in the recommendations of the McGrath committee back in 1985, it's one of the points that was underlined. I fully support that recommendation, so I don't support having parliamentary secretaries on steering committees. I support the Bloc, though.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

All right.

Some of those issues we just leave with the whips. I think some of them are about who gets to appoint who onto what committees. We take what you say, and that's fine. It's speaking to something different from the Bloc motion.

Does anyone else have a comment on the Bloc motion allowing them a different person on the steering committee?

(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Now back to Bill C-9.

Mr. Obhrai.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

As I said, when the foreign minister's not in the country, we'll call the senior department officials to come and talk about it. But we have a very short list here of individuals we would we like to come to the committee. I have given it--

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I think that list was there prior to the summer break.

Mr. Dewar, did you want back on the list on this issue?

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Yes, if I may. Sorry to impose myself again. It's just that on the list, I'm not seeing.... I heard the Chamber of Commerce. Was the Halifax Initiative invited? I think there was one other that we certainly had put forward. I don't have my notes from the last meeting.

We have some concerns about the bill and wanted to hear another perspective that would be brought forward by groups like the Halifax Initiative. It escapes me who the other group was.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

It's KAIROS.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

KAIROS--thank you. Have they been invited?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mrs. Angela Crandall]

No one's been invited. We haven't done that yet.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Until it's cleared here, the invitations can't go out. That's why.