Foreign Affairs Committee on Nov. 25th, 2014

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

So they've been asked but we just haven't heard back.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay.

Is there anything else, ladies and gentlemen?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Could I just say something? We'll work harder to let you know if the schedule's changing than we did on this occasion. This was something that was fairly fluid right from beginning to end.

We will try to let the opposition have a little more information if things are changing regarding the committee's schedule or opportunity to bring witnesses in that might be doing something unusual.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Sure. I think that would be helpful. Even if we got it on the agenda not knowing when it may actually happen, that would be good.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

If I may indulge for a second, one of the things we had run into before is having appropriate planning meetings, which is often a way to avoid this. I might suggest that.

I don't know how this happened. I wasn't pleased because not just for us as the opposition—we didn't have any time to prepare; we got notice of this yesterday—it didn't allow all the people who work at the front here, save the chair, and the chair didn't know either, for them to do the work.

I don't know how this happened, but I know how we could avoid it. One way is to have planning meetings or steering meetings as we used to have. That's an option. Clearly we can't have last minute.... It's not fair to the people who work here to prepare. It's not fair to anyone and we certainly wouldn't do the same. There are times when things do happen; I understand.

[An hon. member]

This is one.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Well, I'm saying that, David. You gave me one of those looks.

There was no communication at all until we found out 24 hours before. I don't know if it was 24 hours before that you were considering this, it could have been brought up in committee before, saying that we have this opportunity to talk to someone about it. That would have been helpful for everyone.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

That's what I said.

[An hon. member]

Not really.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Perfect. Thank you very much.

With that, the meeting is adjourned.