Industry Committee on Nov. 6th, 2012

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Madame LeBlanc, hold on for a moment.

Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

I just want to get some clarification.

Right now, have we stopped this meeting with our witnesses sitting here and we're now discussing committee business? Has the clock stopped on our meeting and now we're doing something else?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

The clock has stopped. I was just going to intervene, Mr. Lake.

I will take Mr. Harris and then I will have an intervention myself.

[Glenn Thibeault, NDP, Sudbury, ON]

Point of order, Mr. Chair.

If Madame LeBlanc has the floor, it can't be stopped on a point of order, if I have that correctly. She continues to have the floor because she was still speaking. She was interrupted by Mr. Lake, so the floor goes back to Mrs. LeBlanc, if I have that correct.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Mr. Thibeault, I was only suggesting that my intervention will be next.

[Glenn Thibeault, NDP, Sudbury, ON]

Oh, okay. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Mr. Harris.

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Madame LeBlanc has the floor, I believe.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Now I have the floor, Mr. Harris.

This is not germane to the business at hand and there hasn't been 48 hours' notice. Right now I've stopped the clock, but I want to let you know that if you're going to continue on with that, I will start the clock again and your time will run out. If you want to go back to questioning and then serve notice on the motion later, then it can be heard at the committee. It has to be germane to the business we have at hand, or we have to serve notice on it.

[Hélène LeBlanc, NDP, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

I just wanted to clarify that I had already submitted a notice of motion a few weeks ago.

[Glenn Thibeault, NDP, Sudbury, ON]

It was September 26.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

One moment. I was not aware of notice of this motion. If we've had 48 hours' notice, then it's fine. I was informed there wasn't notice.

Members, my original information was incorrect. The motion was served on September 26. We have copies, if you'd like one.

Madame LeBlanc has the floor and we'll continue.

[Hélène LeBlanc, NDP, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The study before us is extremely important, but there are other issues that we need to discuss. This isn't the first time the matter has come up in committee.

I mentioned that the Prime Minister himself said he wanted clarification. Furthermore, according to a recent article, the Premier of Alberta indicated that the deal had to respect specific conditions. She said, and I quote:

I'm going to quote:The premier has asked the federal government to impose stricter employment and management conditions on CNOOC's $15.1-billion takeover bid of Nexen [...] Redford also wants CNOOC to make firm commitments to honour environmental standards and to clarify its plan for research and development—

This is totally relevant to the current study. We have just talked about research and development and so on. That's from Mrs. Redford.

Also the business—

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

Point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

This is relevant, again, to the operation of the committee. I think it's important for the witnesses to know that at this point no one is talking to them. The NDP has decided to debate something else and they are kind of shut out.

[Glenn Thibeault, NDP, Sudbury, ON]

That's not a point of order, Mr. Chair. It's debate.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

It is important, because it looks like she's asking a question. I want to be clear that she's not actually asking—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Order, please.

You're right. It's not a point of order, but it is a point of courtesy.

[Glenn Thibeault, NDP, Sudbury, ON]

That's your job, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Thank you, Mr. Thibeault.

I will let the witnesses know that we are in a procedural moment right now. You can listen in and Madame LeBlanc can continue.

Mr. Regan.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, in courtesy to the witnesses, if it is the intention of the NDP to talk out the clock on this, which it may or may not do. It would be good to let them know that and then they wouldn't have to sit here.

I hope we're going to get back to them before too long.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Madame LeBlanc, I don't think it's your obligation to tell us your intentions, but if you'd like to, then we could give the witnesses some added courtesy in this regard.

[Hélène LeBlanc, NDP, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

If I may, Mr. Chair, I would like to carry on as I had prepared something on that. I think the witnesses will understand just how important this very pressing matter is to us. It has to do with research and development and the approach we want to take to developing our natural resources. It applies to research and development, as well as intellectual property.

Industry stakeholders are also talking about the importance of ensuring the Investment Canada Act lays out sound and clear criteria around investing in Canada. There are other concerns over the Investment Canada Act.

I could go on and on, but since we have invited witnesses, I move that we vote on studying the Investment Canada Act as soon as possible, and then continue with our questions.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Sweet]

Okay.