Foreign Affairs Committee on April 8th, 2008

[Peter Goldring, Conservative, Edmonton East, AB]

I'd like to propose an amendment to the motion, if I might. I think it's been discussed, but an amendment to that would read as follows:

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and given the relation of the Remote Sensing Space Systems Act, that the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development immediately undertake a study of the consequences of the proposed sale of the space division of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) to U.S.-based ATK....

And following that it reads the same as the original motion to the very end.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Have you spoken to Mr. Dewar about this amendment?

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

It was brought to me before, Mr. Chair.

Essentially, for everyone else's concern, the change mentioned by Mr. Goldring, or I guess the presumption that we've come out of this with, is to do more of a study. I guess that's the intention.

I'm fine with that. I simply want to make sure that this committee studies the issue. So I'm in favour, and I'm happy to accept the amendment to my motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

All right.

[Peter Goldring, Conservative, Edmonton East, AB]

Further to that, it is also before the industry committee for study.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Yes.

Can I have a copy of the amendment? Thank you.

Has the explanation from both members satisfied you in terms of the reason for the amendment?

Mr. Patry.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Yes. I agree with the motion, there's no doubt about it. But if we're doing a study, we just cannot do a report for April 16. That's the only problem I have with the motion.

I agree with our doing a study, no problem. We're 100% behind both the amendment and the motion itself. But there's no way to do it with only one day left before April 15. This coming Thursday we're already booked. We cannot have witnesses. For next Tuesday, we have what was previously referred to the subcommittee.

So we just cannot do it for April 16. We cannot do a report on the same day we have the witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I don't think the idea here is to stretch this on into a long study. It is something where there would be a report, but it could be done very quickly in a resolution.

Who else wants to speak?

Mr. Dewar.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Thank you to Mr. Patry for his question. It's an excellent one.

The intention of this motion is simply to have particularly government witnesses and others to explain what the remote sensing act is about and how it relates to this file so that this committee can understand it and then make a recommendation. That's the intention. We would have, essentially in one meeting, the witnesses from the government and anyone else we think is relevant to guide us, and that would be done.

To underline the point that it is time-sensitive, April 22 is actually the deadline for the government to decide whether or not this sale goes through.

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

We're going to be in our break then.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

That's why we need to do this before April 16. And I think the calendar is open for this as well.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Correct.

Mr. Goldring.

[Peter Goldring, Conservative, Edmonton East, AB]

I believe the timing for this might be more appropriately set by the steering committee. I'll leave that on the table.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Yes, granted. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Is there any other debate on the motion? If not, are we ready for the question...?

Mr. Patry.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Can we keep the two hours? Mr. Dewar talked about government, but we could have some other witnesses coming from outside government also. We just have one hour. Can we keep next Tuesday at two hours?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

I think that was what we had planned a little bit. The department usually doesn't show up with other witnesses. So they would come for one, and then the other witnesses would be invited for the other hour.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

That would be fine.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Are there any other questions?

Mr. Lebel.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

I don't think we'll have a complete two hours for discussion before leaving for the week break. We will not have it, not at all. We need to keep some time--maybe an hour and a half, maybe an hour and 45 minutes--to discuss this together. We have to do that job before deciding.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

That's a very good point. The steering committee or whatever will take a look at all of that.

Is there any other debate on this?

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Just for clarification, are we voting on the amendment, or has it been accepted as an amendment and we're voting on the main motion?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Do we have a consensus on the amendment?

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

It's fine. It was a friendly amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Thank you, Mr. Albrecht.

Madame Deschamps.