Evidence of meeting #2 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was afghanistan.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Glen Pearson Liberal London North Centre, ON
Thank you.
I just don't quite understand what the issue is. It seems to me that when any committee has done good work, which I think this committee obviously has, and it submitted a report that happened to go out at a time of the year where it didn't get a lot of attention, not just from media but by groups like NGOs and others who I deal with, we would want to give the work that's been done another chance.
Also, I think it's very important that the whole issue of Afghanistan is ready to go through a whole new phase as a result of the American initiative. We know that. We heard it from the foreign affairs minister. I presume we would want to, as a committee and for the sake of the people who would be looking at our deliberations, have a base of where to start.
We ended up with this report--not me, I'm sorry, but for those who did, you did a lot of work--and for people to say this is what we did and now this is the next stage we're going to go to from that, this would seem to me, as an outside observer, to be the common sense approach. I realize I'm new to this committee. There's nothing to be ashamed of in this report. I've read the whole report. I think it's a very good report, but I think for people out there who don't really know and haven't really had a chance to understand it yet, it should be resubmitted so we give them a baseline to see where we are going to go next.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
All right. Thank you.
That's the end of the speakers list, so we'll just call the....
Mr. Obhrai, very quickly.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
I want to ask this question, Mr. Chair. At the time when the recommendations of this report were made, from the last committee...I want to say that at this stage, if you're asking me to table this thing, I am not in agreement with many of the recommendations because it has changed.
Let me just get this clarification out. I'm talking about the period now. This was in the last committee. Just because Parliament was prorogued and it went to this thing, it does not mean that those recommendations are valid now. Now you're asking me to put a stamp on that thing over there; therefore, I would say we would have the right to put a minority report to say some of the recommendations that we have made are no longer valid for me at this time in terms of accepting that report. This is the point I made last time, to say that maybe we should revisit that report to find new recommendations, new things, to bring it up to date. Otherwise I'm not willing to put this thing, and we should have the right to put a minority report forward for this thing here.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
I am saying we should be allowed to put in a minority report if it carries on the way it is, because I believe some of the recommendations may be outdated as of today.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
I think you have a valid point, Mr. Obhrai, and I don't know if I've heard anyone say we wouldn't want you to put in a little dissenting report or paper saying that you feel this is redundant, this is the second time. But again, do I hear anyone on the committee saying no, he shouldn't be allowed to put that opinion on? And it's the same with some who may not have served on the committee. They may say that if they choose, or they can just sign on to it as well.
Mr. Patry.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
I must say that in every report everyone is entitled, every member and every party, to make a dissenting report or add an addendum, if you want to put an addendum--call it what you want to call it, I have no idea. But we can vote now and say they need to get 72 hours, one week, it doesn't matter to me. They need that time, but not two months. They could have 48 hours to put an addendum about this, but we are voting today on the report, including the addendum if they want to put an addendum. I agree that we can vote with an addendum, if any party would like to put an addendum about this, or a dissenting report. But we're not going to give you a month to put a dissenting report, because we might be in an election situation again in three months.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Mr. Obhrai, do you think you would be happy with 48 hours if you decide to do an addendum or a dissenting report? Will that suffice?
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
That's a short period of time. We will require a little bit more time, so I will say--
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
You put a date that you're going to table the report for such a date. You could put the date; let's say we're back on February 23, and say you're going to table the report for the 24th. That's fine. They've got until the 24th to table it, the week we come back. For me, that's the time. But I don't want to see that in three months or four months you're coming back about this. We should decide today that you have 10 days, let's say until February 24, to table; you have until that date to table it.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
I am making it very clear that I have the right to put a dissenting report on that.
5:10 p.m.
An hon. member
That's the thing. We're going to reprint it, without--
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
Yes, I want it very clear here, because then you're going to change around with this thing.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
I am just told that as far as the ability to attach a dissenting opinion, report, or addendum, or whatever you may choose to call it, is concerned, they would need time in order to translate. It would just have to be attached to it. You'd have to work the timelines. My intent then, if this motion was to carry--and maybe we can make an amendment to the motion--would be that it be tabled in that first week back after our break, on Tuesday, February 24.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary East, AB
With the amendment in there to reflect whether other parties would like to put a dissenting report, an addendum, or whatever you want to call it....
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
The clerk tells me that we just need to pass this, have a motion for dissenting, which I think Mr. Patry has already made, and then--
February 10th, 2009 / 5:10 p.m.
The Clerk
We have to adopt the report and then we vote on a dissenting opinion to the report.