Evidence of meeting #18 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Don Bureaux  President, Nova Scotia Community College
Paul Mitchell  Professor, Canadian Forces College, As an Individual
Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Paul Cardegna

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen

Thank you, Mr. Housefather.

I'm looking around the room, and I don't see any other hands up. I will call for a recorded vote on the subamendment.

2:45 p.m.

The Clerk

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My understanding of the subamendment is that “biannual” would be replaced with “every three months” in the first instance, and in the second instance, instead of “biannual basis”, it would be “on a basis of every three months”. That's my understanding of the subamendment that Mr. McCauley has proposed.

If members are in agreement, I will start the roll call.

(Subamendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 4)

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen

On the amendment as amended by Mr. Housefather, is there any discussion?

I'm not seeing any hands up. Does anyone request a recorded vote?

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Sure, Mr. Chair, I request a recorded vote.

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen

Thank you, Mr. Housefather.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 6; nays 4)

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen

All right, we are at the main motion, as amended, at this stage.

Is there discussion on the main motion as amended?

I see Mr. Paul-Hus's hand is up.

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Clerk, can you confirm the date for the first report?

There has been no change in the date, so the first report will have to be submitted in May, in the next few weeks, not in six months. The next report will be submitted in six months.

2:45 p.m.

The Clerk

Mr. Chair, for the information of the committee, in the amendment that was passed, it says that the reports will have to be submitted to the committee on a biannual basis starting June 30, 2022, and ending December 31, 2023.

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC

Thank you.

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen

Mr. Paul-Hus, are you good with that? Are you nodding your head?

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC

Yes, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen

Thank you.

Mr. Housefather, you had your hand up. Your hand is down now. Are we good, or do you want to discuss something?

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC

It was just to clarify what the clerk said, Mr. Chair. I was just going to say that it was June 30.

Thank you.

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen

Thank you.

I'm not seeing any other hands up, and I'm assuming somebody is going to call for a recorded vote.

I see that, Mr. Jowhari. Thank you.

I'll call on the clerk for a recorded vote on the motion as amended.

(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 10; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen

Thank you, everybody.

We have now voted in favour of the motion as amended and as amended. Maybe there were too many amendments.

With everybody here, normally we would go in camera at this point in time. I think, with what we have to discuss, we can do it in public. That way we don't have to go another 10 minutes or so to suspend and come back in from suspending.

Just so that everyone is aware, you'll be happy to know that the clerk, on behalf of the committee, submitted our travel budget to the liaison committee, and we will obviously wait for more news on whether we are approved for travel or not.

Mr. Kusmierczyk, Eglin Air Force Base is somewhere near the place you were talking about in Florida, but I don't see that as an option.

Also, members will recall that the committee wanted to invite Canada Post to appear once the financial statements were released. Those were released to the House on Wednesday and referred to the committee, so I'm going to ask the clerk to contact Canada Post to see about scheduling a time for representatives to appear to discuss the financial statements as we move forward.

Two supplementary budgets were distributed to members yesterday. One is for the committee's study on the air defence procurement projects, and the other is for the committee's study on the national shipbuilding strategy. The previous budgets adopted for these studies did not contain any money to pay for reimbursements for witnesses' travel expenses for coming to Ottawa. This was because the budgets were prepared and adopted before witnesses were able to appear in person.

The House of Commons changed this rule after the initial budgets were adopted, so now that we have more witnesses who are appearing in person, we would need approval of funds to pay for their travel. Both changes in the budgets are modest, and we hope that they will be sufficient to cover the expected costs of witnesses' travel expenses.

The clerk is prepared to answer any questions, if you have any at this time on that. I throw that out to the members. I see no hands up on this.

With that, does the committee wish to adopt these two budgets?

2:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen

They are carried.

Go ahead, Ms. Vignola.

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC

Mr. Chair, could we have the travel budget that was submitted to the liaison committee emailed to us?

2:55 p.m.

The Clerk

Yes, we can distribute that document to all members of the committee. It's just a summary of the information that was submitted to the liaison committee. I'll just ask them not to disclose it, as it's confidential.

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC

Thank you.

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen

Okay.

I am again looking around the room. I am not seeing any hands up. There is nothing upon the screen.

With that, I want to thank everybody for the meeting today.

We are still finishing before three o'clock, Mr. McCauley, just so you're aware.

With that said, I would like to thank the interpreters for everything you've been doing with us and I greatly appreciate your time.

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

I'd like to start my filibuster now, Mr. Chair.

2:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Robert Gordon Kitchen

Thank you to the technicians as well for helping us in dealing with getting the witnesses on board. It was greatly appreciated.

To our analysts and our clerk, thank you very much, and to the food services who provided food for us here today, I thank you as well.

With that said, I declare the meeting adjourned.