No.
Evidence of meeting #14 for International Trade in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was america.
Evidence of meeting #14 for International Trade in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was america.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
With that motion carried, we'll have to now change the arrangement at the table.
First of all, let's open the meeting formally. I was interrupted as I started to do that.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), this committee is now doing a study on the Canada-Central America four free trade agreement negotiations--Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
We will have as our first speakers, with five minutes each, the two witnesses from the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, starting with Ms. Rusa Jeremic, co-chair, Americas Policy Group, and program coordinator, Global Justice, KAIROS.
Go ahead, please, for five minutes.
Rusa Jeremic Co-Chair Americas Policy Group, Program Coordinator, Global Justice, KAIROS, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Thank you very much.
I would like to have a clarification, please. We were told that Mr. Raúl Moreno would have 10 minutes total because of the translation requirements and that we would have a 10-minute presentation. We would like to clarify that before we proceed.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
We have a lot of witnesses here today. If we allow witnesses 10 minutes each, it would be a really long afternoon here. We agreed as a committee to have five minutes for each witness when we have a large group like this. So we will go ahead with five minutes each.
Go ahead, please.
Co-Chair Americas Policy Group, Program Coordinator, Global Justice, KAIROS, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Thank you.
That is not the information we received, and we do have someone here who is speaking Spanish, so a five-minute presentation in Spanish with translation would require 10 minutes total. So I would appreciate clarification that Mr. Moreno, who has travelled here from El Salvador to appear before the committee, would have a period of 10 minutes to speak, as promised by the clerk.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
I'll have to clarify what information was given to the witnesses. I want to make sure I do respect that. This is news to me.
Co-Chair Americas Policy Group, Program Coordinator, Global Justice, KAIROS, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Thank you.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
I now understand.
Mr. Moreno, if you would give your five-minute presentation, we'll then have the interpreter give their five-minute translation--apparently they have a script ready--and we'll carry through that way.
Mr. Moreno, you're the second speaker, I understand. Ms. Jeremic, go ahead, please, for five minutes.
Co-Chair Americas Policy Group, Program Coordinator, Global Justice, KAIROS, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
We're requesting that he go first, please.
Conservative
Co-Chair Americas Policy Group, Program Coordinator, Global Justice, KAIROS, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Thank you. It's simultaneous translation, interpretation.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
No, we will have Mr. Moreno for five minutes, and then we'll have the five-minute script read by the translator. That is the information the clerk has given.
Co-Chair Americas Policy Group, Program Coordinator, Global Justice, KAIROS, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Yes, but that's not the way the translation works. I'm not sure if the translator is prepared to—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
With all due respect, the chair has to run the committee. Do you understand?
Co-Chair Americas Policy Group, Program Coordinator, Global Justice, KAIROS, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Sorry.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
The clerk has given me the information on what information was given to the witnesses. So if we could, as I've said, have Mr. Moreno give a five-minute presentation, followed by a translation or interpretation apparently from a script, it should work fine.
Let's proceed, please. We're running short on time here.
Mr. Moreno, please proceed.
Raúl Moreno Economist, University of El Salvador, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
[Witness speaks in Spanish]
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Mr. Moreno, excuse me, you have taken six minutes.
Are you very near the end? I'll just give you a little bit of time, if you can wrap it up in a minute or less. Go ahead.
Economist, University of El Salvador, Canadian Council for International Co-operation
[Witness speaks in Spanish]
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Thank you very much.
Before we go to the translation, Ms. Guergis has a suggestion or motion for the committee.
Conservative
Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just wanted to suggest that perhaps we only proceed with our non-governmental organizations as witnesses today, and maybe ask the departmental officials to come back another day, in the interests of time and so that we can provide a great opportunity for our NGOs to continue their discussion with us today. But I will only suggest this with the agreement of opposition members that we will have the officials back in the fall.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Thank you for the very generous offer, Ms. Guergis. It does give the other witnesses more time, and I know they'll appreciate that.
I apologize for interrupting your busy schedules, gentlemen, but all you departmental officials may leave the meeting, and we'll have you back here, which I look forward to.
This does give us more time with the witnesses who are here.
So we can go to the translation now of Mr. Moreno's comments.