International Trade Committee on Nov. 15th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

That concludes the proposals of agreed routine motions, unless there are any further motions from the floor before we adjourn.

Is there a further motion?

[Brian Pallister, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

It's not so much a motion; it's just an offer that we may take advantage of or we may not.

I spoke earlier to Navdeep about this. I have the assurance that if we would want a briefing from departmental officials for Thursday's meeting, I could get departmental officials here to answer questions on any topic we might want to raise. I put that out there, if committee members are interested.

I admit it's a selfish suggestion. As I said to Navdeep, many of you have been on this committee before; maybe you have such a level of expertise that you require no briefings from anyone, but I personally would like to offer that opportunity for us to ask questions if we'd like.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Mr. Pallister, are you proposing a briefing by the department officials on Tuesday next, at the first meeting of the committee?

[Brian Pallister, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

That is if committee members want it. It's just an offer.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Yes, I understand it's an offer. I'm asking what the offer is.

[Brian Pallister, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

The offer is to bring departmental officials to answer questions from committee members on a topic of their choosing.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

When?

[Brian Pallister, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

This Thursday, when we have a meeting--or next Tuesday; I'm sorry. It would be the next meeting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Thank you.

Go ahead, Mr. Bains.

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

I appreciate the offer.

I indicated that there are a few items we want to complete from the previous committee meetings, a couple of reports. Also, I have a few suggestions on behalf of my colleagues for some of the issues we need to discuss. I don't think it's necessarily important to have department officials give us any additional guidance. I think if we seek it, we can call on them as part of a set of witnesses we may require on certain subject matter, but at the present time I think we need to use that meeting for other purposes, because we have a limited time span in light of the fact that we had to prorogue the House and therefore reset the committees. I think, speaking from my own experience, that this is something for which there is no present need or desire.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

It would have been helpful for me as chairman of this committee to have an overall briefing just to begin things—we have a number of new members on the committee—and just to get a sense of the department and who they are. But before we prolong this, I should say that in the absence of that suggestion, it would occur to me that the next order of business for the committee would be establishing an agenda for subsequent meetings. That's certainly something we could do on Tuesday. If it is decided on Tuesday that in addition to setting the agenda up to Christmas or something like that, we could include a subsequent briefing by officials—I mean quite broadly, rather than a specific one—to update new members of the committee, it may well be that the committee might have the advantage of even just the new members who would depart from the committee time to get such a briefing, but those are just suggestions.

Go ahead, Monsieur Cardin.

[Serge Cardin, Bloc, Sherbrooke, QC]

My comments are along the same lines as Mr. Bains. Obviously, we need to decide as quickly as possible on an agenda and on the topics we want to discuss. He also alluded to some matters that we had already begun to touch on. We have business to conclude. It is important to bring some members up to speed on international trade files. However, we also need to get an update, to bring all members up to speed members on certain issues and to push ahead with any outstanding business.

Either the clerk or the research analyst could report on the studies in progress and on what remains to be done. Perhaps departmental officials could fill us in as well. We need to have this information in hand before we begin. This would help us set an agenda for the committee. I imagine that by next week, we will have an idea of which issues should be given priority consideration and of what business remains to be concluded.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Just so we're clear, there is no past business. We just started this committee today. If there is business that you would like to bring to the committee that has been dealt with in the past.... I'm just explaining this technically; there is no past business. We have a new committee as of today.

I take it then that the direction of the committee is that when we next meet on Tuesday we will commence with discussion of future business. At that time perhaps members could bring matters that they wish to have considered for future business, and that could include things that you may or may not have dealt with in the past. Let's bring that to the table.

I have had the pleasure of dealing with this clerk before, and he reminds me that in our previous experience together we asked the various committee members to submit to the clerk any notions of agenda items or future business that they wish to have considered. I think that's a good point, a good way to do it, and allow the clerk to sort out duplications or whatever and then present to everybody collectively for Tuesday's meeting a list that we might all go over and perhaps agree on which of those matters we wish pursue and in which order, or which precedence.

If this is something that's agreeable, before asking for the consent of the committee I will suggest that we would perhaps submit any notions of future business to the clerk by Monday noon next. The clerk could then have those translated in both official languages and distributed—as best he can—to the committee prior to the next meeting. Is this a suggestion with which I could find concurrence in the committee?

Mr. Maloney.

[John Maloney, Liberal, Welland, ON]

I agree with the suggestion. But it might also be productive if the clerk and researchers enumerate those points that we left outstanding before prorogation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

I think maybe you have just done that by asking the clerk to do it. But I want to reiterate that this is a new committee, and if there are things you want to bring back the time to do it would be Monday. If you want to pass that suggestion to the clerk to include those, then you've just done it. Is that fair enough?

[John Maloney, Liberal, Welland, ON]

I pass that suggestion to the clerk.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Okay.

I did have some outstanding names from the previous list, and that included Mr. Masse. Do you have any further comment?

Mr. Miller, any further comment?

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Just on this here. As a new member to the committee I would at some point like to see somebody from the department here to answer questions. I hope that is a consideration.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Okay. We're not going to have that debate today, but we are going to have that debate on Tuesday. That will be one item that you can add to the agenda on Tuesday for discussion.

Monsieur Cardin.

[Serge Cardin, Bloc, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Chairman, the committee has some new members. You have not introduced for the benefit of the members our research staff and analysts.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Thank you very much. I can't do it because I've yet to meet them. So maybe I'll ask them to introduce themselves.

[Michael Holden, Committee Researcher]

I'm Mike Holden, one of the researchers for the committee.

[Peter Berg, Committee Researcher]

Peter Berg is my name, and I'm also with the Parliamentary Information and Research Service. I'm pleased to be here.

[Michael Holden]

We also have Elizabeth Kuruvila here, who is with the law and government division.

[Elizabeth Kuruvila, Committee Researcher]

I am Elizabeth Kuruvila from the law and government division of the Library of Parliament.