Foreign Affairs Committee on June 3rd, 2008

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I'm always ready.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

I will put forward a friendly amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

You will have to read it a little more clearly, Deepak.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Well, I have to read it myself first, as he has just brought it to my attention that he is willing to....

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

It's in the spirit of cooperation with the NDP.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

It is in the spirit of cooperation. I am very much cooperative here, as usual.

It would read as follows:

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2)

--blah, blah, blah--

[An hon. member]

That's on the record, by the way, “blah, blah, blah”.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Oh, oh!

We have to redo this by removing “adopt” in terms of what the government must do.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Here is a very simple amendment for you to propose: that the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development report to the House the government's--

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Response.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

--response to the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Developing Countries.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Yes, and let's just put “in a reasonable time”.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Can you define that for me, before I get...?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Okay, I think what we have here is the NDP and the government working together for a friendly amendment, so it may work out. Let's not give up total hope here.

Go ahead, Mr. Dewar.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Put simply, pursuant to the standing order, etc., the government announce its proposals for the implementation of the advisory group's report to the national--

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

No, it's a response. It's a response to the advisory--

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Okay, so the government announces its response--

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

In a reasonable time--right?--

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Right.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

--to the round tables--

[Paul Dewar]

For me, before the House rises.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Right.

[Paul Dewar]

The advisory group report....

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Yes.

Is that all right? Did you get it?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

That sounds good to me. I'm going to have the clerk read it back here.

Listen carefully, because we may then move to a vote on the amendment.