Foreign Affairs Committee on April 8th, 2008

Evidence of meeting #22 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 sanctions.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Canada's mission in Afghanistan

Committee Business

Briefing on the violent reaction of the Burmese regime

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Tin Maung Htoo Executive Director, Canadian Friends of Burma

Estelle Dricot Professional Researcher, International Peace and Security Program, Institut québécois des hautes études internationales

Micheline Lévesque Regional Officer, Asia, Rights and Democracy

Matt Waldman Afghanistan Policy Adviser, Oxfam International

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

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.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

Have you spoken to Mr. Dewar about this amendment?

5:05 p.m.

NDP

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.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

All right.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Goldring Conservative Edmonton East, AB

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

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

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.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

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.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

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.

5:05 p.m.

NDP

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.