Evidence of meeting #57 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was benefits.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON
As a suggestion before we make a decision, another option that Mr. Savage had mentioned was that the two witnesses could be heard during the timeframe that was allotted to the sponsor. Perhaps if the department wanted to also have their time allotted with the sponsor, they could finish it up within that hour and a half and then we wouldn't have to—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
That would make some sense. The question is this. We are going to strike that only the sponsors be held, and once that has been stricken from the record we're going to move to adopt the fourth report.
Bloc
Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC
Mr. Chair, what amendments were made to the steering committee's recommendation?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
They are the fourth report, the way it is written here in front of us. These are the recommendations. The only difference was that Mr. Savage would like to be able to have a couple of witnesses show up, so we're only going to strike the second-last line.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
That is correct, that there would be just a couple of witnesses come at the same time as the sponsor who talks about the bill.
Bloc
Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC
To try to expedite the committee's business, given the nature of previous work on employment insurance, we had agreed, both the NDP and the Bloc, not to send for the witnesses that we had announced. If we open that door, I imagine that we too will want to bring back witnesses. I don't know which witnesses the Liberals want to have appear. I want to avoid us finding ourselves with an imbalance, as was the case for Bill C-257.
February 20th, 2007 / 5:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
The witnesses are just relating to Bill C-278, and it's the Cancer Society and a couple of the stakeholders.
Bloc
Bloc
Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC
If that's it, I understand better. If it's the Canadian Cancer Society, we agree. That would be the only witness, wouldn't it, Mr. Chair?
Liberal
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Mr. Lessard, we're not suggesting any witnesses on Bill C-269. In fact, there are two on Bill C-278, the Cancer Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, that want to speak in support of the bill because of the number of Canadians who were disabled from those two diseases.
Perhaps what I should do is propose an amendment that only the sponsor of Bill C-269 be heard and leave Bill C-278 completely off the table, or I can take out the whole line, line 86.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
The whole line is fine, just the way it is.
Are we all in favour of the fourth report as amended?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
One more thing. We need a budget. You have a budget before you for witnesses for Bill C-36.
Mr. Savage.
Liberal
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
The witnesses I'm proposing from the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Cancer Society I believe are in Ottawa. I'm not sure of that. Should we put something in, in case?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
We can deal with that after. We have to deal with Bill C-36 right now, as it is proposed.