Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Sept. 11th, 2007

[An hon. member]

Would this room be large enough, Scott?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Scott, would there be any consensus to have that panel restricted to a timeframe, as we've done in the past?

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

That's for the committee to decide.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Order, please.

I have a potential expansion of the witness list, but still within a timeframe. The offer is to keep it within a timeframe.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

What is the timeframe, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Well, let's talk about that. Let's get this thing done by noon.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

We are 25 minutes past—

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

I appreciate the indulgence of the committee to try to get this organized.

I'm going to propose the same thing as I did before, that we have Mr. Mayrand in first, at 10 o'clock, and have this panel in, but the panel will be before the committee for—help me—30 minutes, 45 minutes...?

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

From 11 to 12.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

From 11 to 12. Can we get consensus by the members of this committee that we will deal with this matter and be prepared to put a draft report together by noon hour on Thursday?

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

And at 1:30 we're back to today's business.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

We'll get to that next. I like to do these things one bite at a time.

Are we good with that?

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Except that this is a package deal.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

All right. Then if that's the case, we will break for lunch at noon hour on the dot, until 1:30. I'm hoping folks can get out and get back by then, if that's acceptable to the committee, and we will meet here for two hours to deal with this issue, from 1:30 to 3:30.

Please, are there any other comments? I'm sorry, I did interrupt you. I apologize, Mr. Reid.

Monsieur Guimond, I did interrupt Mr. Reid.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

I have an appointment during lunchtime. Can we discuss the draft report from one o'clock to 1:30?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Why don't we bring lunch in?

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

No, I have an appointment.

Maybe I can eat my sandwiches and then go out.

[An hon. member]

We're not going to have sandwiches, Mr. Guimond.

[An hon. member]

Filet mignon?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

I'll tell you what my problem is with that. I don't think members can get out, find a lunch, and get back here by one o'clock; it's one hour. If we can just discuss the draft report from 1:30 to two o'clock, we can start this business at two o'clock.

[Some hon. members]

Sure. Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Oh, my goodness.

Mr. Reid, I'm going to recognize you again, but I want you to be cognizant of the fact that we have a whole agreement going on right here.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

I would be supportive of this as long as I can be guaranteed that invitations are extended to the following groups. I don't think anyone will object to this. I just want to make sure that it's down and we all agree to this, so listen to the groups and see if you find these reasonable. I'm not trying to make an exclusive list. These are just people who—

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, you said you were going to look at a list of witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

I think that's fair, Scott. I'm happy to look at it. I'm getting some suggestion from folks that I can approve it.