Human Resources Committee on Jan. 31st, 2008

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Mr. Komarnicki.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

The debate here is done on his motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That's correct, yes.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

When they're reading that motion...or is he just going to...?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

I think we wanted clarification on Mr. Savage's motion, which we're going to have him re-read when everyone has finished talking.

Hopefully we can go ahead.

Mr. Savage.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

It's been a very informative discussion, not the least of which is that Mr. Lake and his fellow Conservatives are having a hard time selling their stunning generosity in Alberta, so I wish him well whenever the election comes.

I'm going to do the whole tabling motion with the amendment. I move that this motion be tabled until immediately after the finance committee has completed its study of this critical issue.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you very much.

All those in favour of the motion?

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

One moment.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

A point of clarification.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Yes, go ahead, Mr. Savage.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

We're getting conflicting stories about when Finance is actually looking at it. Somebody has whispered to me that they may be looking at it on Monday and just having one meeting on that—

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

I will talk to the chair today at question period and—

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

—so rather than put a time limit on it, a specific time, as soon as they've made the decision.... It's my view that we are going to discuss this again and that we should discuss it again. We want to discuss this again, but we don't want to take up Parliament's time at many different vantage points at the same time. So that's why I suggest waiting until immediately after the finance committee has completed its study of this critical issue.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay.

Mr. Lessard, did you have a point of order or a question of clarification?

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

If I correctly understood our colleague Mr. Savage, it is being asked that the matter be immediately put before the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities at the first opportunity following the decision of the Standing Committee on Finance.

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, QC]

Let's say: at the first meeting.

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

That's it, at the first meeting following the decision of the Standing Committee on Finance.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

I'm saying immediately after they have completed their study.

So I would ask the chair to report back on what the finance committee has decided and then we'll decide whether we'll do this, whether as Liberals we might have an amendment, the government may have an amendment, we may have something else, Mr. Martin may have something....

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

My understanding is that I will be in touch with the chair of Finance. I will bring back the information and then as a committee we'll decide what the next steps are.

Mr. Savage is merely pointing out that we should wait until we hear from Finance, but then as a committee we'll decide what needs to move forward.

All those in favour of the motion?

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

That's good.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

I will just remind the committee as well that we do have a lot of work before us. I know that we've talked to Mr. Martin about poverty. I'm just framing the context. I'm not sure why a motion should come in and take priority over what the committee has already decided. However, we are the masters of our own destiny. I will keep that in mind. I know that Mr. Martin has been waiting very patiently for this study on poverty, so I just want you as a group to keep that in mind. We're going to have a chance to look at what happens with Finance, etc.

But I think, as I said, Mr. Martin has been more than patient on this particular issue.

Mr. Martin.

[Tony Martin, NDP, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

In that vein, could I suggest that we have a subcommittee meeting to look at the work of this committee as soon as possible.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Sure.

My suggestion is that as we get closer to the completion of the study we should most definitely have a subcommittee meeting and map out exactly what we are going to do.

Why don't we suggest that for within the next couple of weeks? How does that sound? Before the break. Does that sound reasonable?

[Tony Martin, NDP, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

What about next week?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Next week? Okay, perfect. We'll set that up.

Are there any other comments before we get to the employability study?

If you want to take five minutes, we'll go in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]