International Trade Committee on June 10th, 2008

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

We'll come to order. This is meeting 35 of the Standing Committee on International Trade.

Today the scheduled topic is Bill C-55, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the States of the European Free Trade Association, the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Republic of Iceland, the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Kingdom of Norway, and the Agreement on Agriculture between Canada and the Swiss Confederation.

We're to hear witnesses today.

We have, from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, David Plunkett, director general, bilateral and regional trade policy; Marvin Hildebrand, director, bilateral market access; and Ton Zuijdwijk, general counsel, trade law bureau. From the Department of Finance, we have Christine Wiecek, senior economist, tariffs and market access; and from the Department of Industry, Chummer Farina, director general, aerospace, defence and marine branch. And from the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food, we have Chantal Sicotte, senior trade policy analyst (Europe), eastern hemisphere trade policy, market and industry services branch.

It would be my suggestion that we hear from the witnesses. Should there be any other business or points of order, we wouldn't keep our witnesses here.

It looks like we're going to have a point of order, in any event.

Mr. Bains.

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

Thank you very much, Chair.

With all due respect to the witnesses before the committee, I'd like to move to adjourn the debate.

[An hon. member]

That's not a point of order, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

We have a motion to adjourn.

[An hon. member]

That's not debatable.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

A point of order, Mr. Chair.

[An hon. member]

You can't move a motion on a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

We have a motion on the floor. It's not debatable.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

For clarification, Mr. Chair, can you move adjournment on a point of order?

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Once you have the floor, you can do whatever you want.

It's not within the rules to move adjournment on a point of order, but if you want to follow the bouncing ball, they challenge the chair, then vote and overrule the chair and say they can raise a motion of adjournment on a point of order. So let's just save time and have the vote.

[An hon. member]

It's just like last time. They really don't want to work.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

There is no debate on a motion of adjournment, with apologies to the witnesses, who have been waiting for an hour now.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

The meeting is adjourned.