Foreign Affairs Committee on Nov. 29th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Thank you, Mr. Obhrai.

I would just caution the committee--and you can take it for what it's worth--that when we have all these motions saying let's invite the minister, that's fine, but he will pick and choose then. He'll see what these motions are. I'm certain, I would imagine, that he knows which motions have been brought forward, and he will say “Okay, I'll appear on this one and that one”. So I guess he has the prerogative to do that.

When we really want him for something--and if this is one of those cases--then the motion is completely in line. I would just caution that inviting the minister to appear seven or eight times isn't going to be successful. We all know that's not going to happen. He would tend to take a look at all these and say “I can do it on this one, but I'm not going to speak on the others”.

Mr. Kramp.

[Daryl Kramp, Conservative, Prince Edward—Hastings, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm not supportive of this motion simply because, historically speaking, governments through the years, regardless of stripe, have opened missions, and they've closed them. They base that on the factors that are in front of them. They base that on everything from budget to economic need, to trade, to foreign affairs, to world circumstance.

The government will make a proper decision when the time is right, based on all of the information that comes before it at that time. So to suggest that this is going to happen, will happen, did happen, is totally speculation, and it's absolutely ridiculous to bring a minister in here before the fact.

Then everybody should be into government planning. Well, you can't have everybody in this House in government planning. A government has a responsibility to govern, and that's what the government should do.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Thank you, Mr. Kramp.

Madame Barbot.

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

With all due respect for you and for my colleagues across the table, I think that when we want to meet with the minister on one subject or another, we should have the possibility of asking him. It is critical to our work here. The minister may of course make a decision according to his availability, but that is the policy.

You're telling me to be careful, to not make demands on him too often, and I understand that. However, he does not have to react in that way. He should understand that if, in a committee as important as the one on foreign affairs, so many issues are raised by members concerning government policies, it is obviously worth his time and trouble to come and meet with them and present his perspective clearly and objectively. I cannot understand why some systematically oppose the idea that we should ask the minister to come and meet with us.

Having said that, there are once again discrepancies in the translation. I will point them out to the clerk, if you wish, because the French and English versions do not say the same thing. I think we should call for the vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Madame St-Hilaire.

[Caroline St-Hilaire, Bloc, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

My colleague took the words out of my mouth.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

She wanted to dismiss you. Madame Barbot says let's go to a vote.

[Caroline St-Hilaire, Bloc, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

And I move that you call the question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

All right.

I'm going to give one more person the opportunity to speak to that, and that's going to be Mr. Wilfert, just to sum up.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

I just want to do a correction. You can't avoid letting me talk.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Okay, what's the correction?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

The correction is that Madame Barbot said we are opposed to having ministers here, and I said yesterday very clearly that we are not opposed to having the minister here. We have been very willing, and the minister himself is willing to come here—and he's doing it. So that's not the issue.

The issue is that this one here—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Okay. This is the same thing. It's not the proposal.

Mr. Wilfert, just—

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chairman, call the question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

All right.

(Motion agreed to)

It is carried, five to four. Or, as Mr. Dewar said when he left: “I'm leaving, but you already have your five, so....”

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

We'll see you next week. The meeting is adjourned.