Human Resources Committee on May 7th, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

I'm going to have to call time here. We'll suspend for a couple of minutes before we have some committee business.

I want to thank the witnesses again for taking time to be here. I know that most of you made recommendations. If there are any specific recommendations that you did not get a chance to mention to us, please submit them to the clerk and we'll make sure that all members get them. We'll also make sure they are referenced in our report.

Once again, I want to thank everyone for the work you're doing. I know it's difficult, but we do appreciate you being here and not only helping to educate us but to promote awareness of what is going on in this country. Thank you very much.

We'll suspend the meeting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Members, please grab a seat. There are a couple of things we need to deal with very quickly, because of travel next week. Also, Mr. Savage has a motion, and we have to turn this room over to another committee coming in here in about three minutes.

What I wanted to indicate to the committee was that I believe there is some major poverty demonstration happening in Quebec City, so we're having a hard time with witnesses in Montreal, understandably. What I have suggested to the clerk is that we go with one day in Montreal. The clerk is working with both offices to try to make sure we have enough witnesses. We will be sure, at a later time, to either bring them to Ottawa or do a teleconference. We'll make sure that we have a chance to hear them.

Because of the number of witnesses we have right now, we'll only be able to do the one day in Montreal. We're still working to get more. There is a suggestion of a possible site visit, so maybe we can give some suggestions for Mr. Lessard to look at.

I just wanted to state that, and then I wanted to go to Mr. Savage's motion, but I see two hands. I have Mr. Martin and Mr. Lessard on the topic of Montreal.

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

I have no difficulty with making it one day, if we don't have enough witnesses to present in Montreal. I'm confident that the clerk and everybody involved has been trying desperately to get anybody who wanted to appear before us. If there are only enough witnesses for one day, then that's fine. We all have work back here to do as well.

I have a question about the travel, Mr. Chair. This is the first time in my experience when members of Parliament have to use a point of our travel to get to the place of the hearings. In this instance, there's a charter flight leaving Toronto, I believe, for Halifax. I have to use a point to get from Sault Ste. Marie to Toronto. That's prejudicial against anybody who doesn't live in Toronto.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Actually, no. It's leaving from Toronto and Ottawa. Travel is always from Ottawa back to Ottawa.

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

In the past, Mr. Chair, when I've travelled with committee, I always had my travel covered from home, from where I was, to the location of the hearings and then back again.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That has not been the case for any travel I've done. I've been expected to either get to Toronto or to Ottawa. You have to come to Ottawa, so the travel is from Ottawa back to Ottawa.

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

For example, on the employability stuff, I travelled out to meet up with the committee. I got that covered, and then my travel from there on. If we should leave the committee at some point and not be able to stay with the tour, so to speak, we then are back on our own point system again.

That's not fair, in my view. It penalizes those of us who live away from Toronto and Ottawa and who perhaps need to leave and come back here or go someplace else in order to continue our work as members of Parliament. I don't know if anybody else is feeling that this is different and problematic, but I certainly am, because I push the limit every year on my travel.

I'm surprised that it's been your experience that this is the way it has worked. It certainly hasn't been mine.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

It's actually the way it works with all committees. It's a bigger issue than just this committee. It's actually policy that all the trips have been revolved around leaving from Ottawa and coming back.

I have Mr. Lessard on the list, Mr. Lobb, and then Mr. Savage.

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

Mr. Chairman, I see that those groups that will not be able to appear are very important, such as the Collectif pour un Québec sans pauvreté, FRAPRU, L'R des centres de femmes du Québec, and so on. Those groups are used to testify.

There will be an important event in Quebec City, as you may have said at the beginning, but I did not follow what you said after that. Those people will all meet in Quebec City for a demonstration that is precisely aimed at fighting poverty. I suppose they will wish to be heard at another time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Yes.

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

That is what you suggested, I believe, and I agree. We could cancel the second day and book them for another time. They want to be heard and we should not leave them aside.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Mr. Lessard, that was what I suggested. We'll try to bring them in via video conference or we'll bring them into Ottawa. We will extend the invitation to them again. I believe we need to hear them as well.

I have Mr. Lobb and Mr. Savage.

Mr. Savage.

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

If we don't hear witnesses next Thursday in Montreal, can we have a committee meeting here in Ottawa, where my motion and perhaps any other outstanding committee business could be heard at that time?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That is definitely a possibility, that's for sure.

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

Because I don't think we're going to get to my motion today, and I understand that as it's past one o'clock, but I'd like to have it dealt with at the first opportunity.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

All right.

You know what? We are out of time here.

Tony.

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

I just want a notice of motion and I will put something in writing. I really think, after today, that we need to look at a subcommittee on disabilities to get on with some of the issues that are on the table in that file.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay. We'll get you to submit a motion on that.

Thanks again, everyone.

The meeting is adjourned.