Foreign Affairs Committee on April 8th, 2008

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

The Bloc would like to introduce a very and brief amendment, please. Without actually reading it out, I can tell you that after "au plus tard le 16 avril 2008 un rapport", we would strike out the words "assorti de recommandations".

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

So you have another amendment to the motion, and this is putting the date on it?

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

This is after the date. I'm talking about Mr. Dewar's motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

It's on the Radarsat. Yes, you've got it. Can you repeat that again?

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

After "au plus tard le 16 avril 2008 un rapport", we would strike out "assorti de recommandations". We want to strike out "assorti de recommandations". As there is little time left before the deadline, we want a brief report.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Okay, I think that's all right. I think that's wordsmithing.

Are we all in favour of that?

Mr. Goldring.

[Peter Goldring, Conservative, Edmonton East, AB]

On a point of clarity, we did agree that the setting of the timing for this would be by the steering committee?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Yes, it will be the 15th, I think, or whatever the date is there.

All right. Thank you for bringing that up. I appreciate that. The French and English will correspond there, so we'll make that correction.

All in favour of Madame Deschamps's amendment?

Monsieur Lebel.

We want to get to the motion before the bells start ringing.

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

I have a question. If I understand correctly, Ms. Deschamps said that after the date of April 16, she would strike out the remainder of the paragraph, and not only the part about—

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

We strike out "assorti de recommandations".

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

And we keep all the rest. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

All right. Thank you.

We're all in favour of Madame Deschamps's amendment?

(Amendment agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Now, is there any debate on Mr. Dewar's motion in its entirety, or can we call the question? I don't want to cut debate short, ever.

(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Thank you. We've accomplished that.

Now, is it the will of the committee to fill in that date of April 15? One thing I should report is that the steering committee for the subcommittee on human rights met today, and they will hear from the delegation from the Philippines. That opens on April 15.

I will make the motion that we study the Radarsat for the full two hours on April 15. Are we in favour of that?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

All right. That leaves April 17 open. Madame Barbot is not going to be here that day, and we want to get our witness lists in. We're wondering if it would be possible to take the first look at the China report and get that done on that day. It wouldn't be done, but to get to that when Madame Barbot is here for her motion. Are we all right with that? It's just to give our group here the opportunity to get what we need for that.

Madame Deschamps.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

I do not see why we could not begin on April 17, because we have already handed in our list of witnesses. Moreover, one of the witnesses can come only on April 17.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

We want to give some time for the other parties to put in witnesses as well. We have a very small witness list that had been taken from the.... I think we got some witnesses from the subcommittee, but we've always allowed parties to submit witness lists. This is trying to get that one day and get the China report, which we're looking at in a way, to kickstart it so we can.... It's mainly so our clerks can invite the witnesses for all the other things and do their planning.

Mr. Lebel.

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

I need a point of information, Mr. Chairman. During the last discussion of the Khadr file, it was proposed that we would hear Mr. Khadr's lawyers at the outset. At the time, I emphasized that I wanted to hear the international experts before hearing the lawyers.

How do we stand with regard to this?

At the last meeting we talked about Mr. Khadr's lawyers. I said I'd prefer to have international experts before Mr. Khadr's lawyers come.

How do we stand?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Yes. It's to hear from more than just Mr. Khadr's lawyers. There are international experts. There are all kinds of....

Madame Deschamps.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

The order of the witnesses is not important. Whether we hear the experts first, or Mr. Khadr's lawyers first, we will take their testimony into account. Someone insisted that we should invite Mr. Khadr's lawyer. However, he is available only on April 17. Think that it is very important for our study to invite Mr. Khadr's lawyer on April 17.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

We have no information that they're only available on a certain date. If we invite people, we hope they would make themselves available at any date. That's part of what this committee is about.

There's been no information as to availability of witnesses. We send out witness lists, and it's not based only on the one day that committee members say they can be here. We try to invite people....

Madame Bourgeois.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Chairman, could you confirm this information by Thursday? Perhaps we should show some flexibility. Mr. Khadr's lawyer is extremely important because he was not able to see his client or to be present during the entire trial. We must find out what stopped him from attending the trial.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

But my point is that our clerk has not contacted any witnesses, on any of them. All we have heard from is the subcommittee.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

And the information—