Evidence of meeting #10 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was indian.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
I think that's really outside of committee consideration. Mr. Duncan is essentially suggesting that the department would be available for those kinds of consultations. Do I have that correct? Okay.
Are there any other comments on this point?
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Yes. I think it's really important that we have some opportunity to present questions, both to INAC and the Department of Justice, because a number of issues have arisen from witnesses that I think need clarification.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
I'd like to do that before the amendments. I think Monsieur Lemay's suggestion is that we have time to consider the amendments. I think it could influence what kinds of amendments we might put forward.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
As I understand it, amendments would come forward for consideration as part of the clause-by-clause analysis of the bill. As you would know, departmental officials would be on hand for those meetings. We would suggest committing to doing that beginning on Tuesday.
As members know, if it takes longer than that meeting to complete that consideration, then that's what it will take.
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Sorry, Mr. Chair, perhaps I wasn't being clear. There have been a number of issues that have arisen, which may or may not result in amendments, that are perhaps just a matter of clarification.
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Right. Rather than doing it as a one-off, because I understand that the department has offered to brief us on a one-off basis, it might make more sense for the whole committee, as Mr. Duncan pointed out, to have the benefit of it so that we're not....
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Are we suggesting, then, that we have the department here on Thursday?
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
John Duncan Conservative Vancouver Island North, BC
I was suggesting that we do it outside the formality of a committee meeting.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Okay. Can I leave it to you, Mr. Duncan, to see if you can arrange that? That would have to be this week, then, before....
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
John Duncan Conservative Vancouver Island North, BC
We've made the offer. We'll just have to try to find a common time that works for people.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
All right.
At the moment we would have an extra hour on Thursday. Is it the preference of the committee to have the department in for that second hour? We currently have the Canadian Human Rights Commission scheduled for the first hour of the Thursday meeting. Do you want to have the departmental officials here in the second hour?
4:30 p.m.
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
If this suits the government, we could devote the first hour on Thursday to the Human Rights Commission and the second to departmental representatives. We would have until 4 o'clock Friday to table our amendments. We will consider these amendments next Tuesday starting at 3:30 p.m.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
I don't see anybody objecting to that, so that's the way we will proceed. We'll go ahead. We'll ask departmental officials to come for the second hour on Thursday. We'll go to a full meeting on clause-by-clause the following Tuesday.
Go ahead, Mr. Russell.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Todd Russell Liberal Labrador, NL
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I certainly agree with going clause-by-clause on Tuesday and taking as much time as necessary to make sure we get some things right. I think we've been cautioned by the witnesses here. Even some of the witnesses were cautious about making proposed amendments that might result in residual discrimination, again, related to the Indian Act. So I think we certainly have to be very diligent in how we go forward, because it is not a simplistic act in itself. Neither are some of the amendments.
I would like to say that as a courtesy we should try to have the proposed amendments in by the end of business on Friday.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Todd Russell Liberal Labrador, NL
There's nothing prohibiting us from bringing amendments to the floor on the day of clause-by-clause. Is that not right?
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
You understand it correctly. We're asking, really, as a courtesy, to have the amendments in by Friday, but nothing in the Standing Orders prevents proposed amendments from coming during the meeting on the Tuesday because we're in clause-by-clause consideration.