Human Resources Committee on Oct. 28th, 2010

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

They are minimal.

[Jacques Paquette]

In terms of support for families and children, the government does have programs in place to meet their needs. Those programs will continue to be offered. The Old Age Security Program was never designed with that in mind; rather, it was designed to meet the specific needs of seniors. The government has demonstrated, and continues to demonstrate, its concern for children and families by making use of the appropriate tools—tools others than the Old Age Security Program.

[The Chair, Conservative, Candice Bergen]

Monsieur Lessard, thank you very much.

I want to thank the witnesses for being here. I understand that we've had a great opportunity and that we've all asked the questions that we had around the table. So once again, thank you very much for being here, and we'd like to dismiss you at this time.

This meeting is adjourned.

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

We had planned for this session to last until 10:45 a.m. We still have questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Candice Bergen]

Mr. Lessard, actually I asked everyone. We just went around the table and everyone was done. So if you have more questions, I guess we'd have to determine if we are going to allow you to continue or how the committee wants to continue, because we did actually complete the round.

We are actually done this round, as we had agreed, and we were not going to begin a second round. Obviously, we weren't just going to have you continue unendingly with questions, so that was why we completed the round.

Mr. Comartin didn't have any other questions. The government didn't have....

[An hon. member]

[Inaudible--Editor]

[The Chair, Conservative, Candice Bergen]

Well, that's what I'm saying. We don't have time for a fourth round. This was our third round. I gave everyone an opportunity to ask questions, and you had your allotted time. Actually you had quite a bit more than your allotted time, because I knew that you wanted to finish this and we didn't have other questions. So everyone had a chance.

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

If I am given permission, I would have another question, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Candice Bergen]

Then we have to decide as a committee if we are going to do a fourth round. We didn't have time for a fourth round. That was why I had already adjourned the meeting, because I did ask everyone if they had a question.

Mr. Comartin.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I note that you did adjourn the meeting. I thought from the previous discussion that we had at the start of the meeting that we were going to spend at least a few minutes on how we were going to go to clause-by-clause, or what we were going to do next on this bill.

I thought maybe we'd go in camera and just do some quick business.

[The Chair, Conservative, Candice Bergen]

Sure. I thought we would just discuss that, but if we'd like to do that as a committee, I would be fine with it. I did adjourn, so just one moment.

I did adjourn, so if it's the will of the committee, we can reconvene right away for just a couple of moments in camera, so we can have a discussion, or, Mr. Comartin, if it would be satisfactory to you, we could have that discussion. I think we had agreed at another meeting that if you did have witnesses, we could bring those witnesses forward on Monday before we do clause-by-clause. I think that would satisfy everyone.

It doesn't look like we have the will of the committee to—

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I just enjoy the companionship of the committee, Madam Chair. I thought everybody would want to partake in the discussion.

That's fine. I'll discuss it with you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Candice Bergen]

Thank you.

The meeting is now adjourned.