Evidence of meeting #5 for International Trade in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was deal.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
Yes, and all of those, I take it, are confirmed as they're written on the original schedule. The only one that was shifted was December 4, and that's off.
Now, if we were to move them to another date, we'd have to move the people that are on the other date. That's how I understand it.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Okay, just for clarification, then, on December 11, what would be the business of the committee?
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
December 11 is the Shipbuilding Association of Canada, the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, the Forest Products Association of Canada, and
the Réseau des ingénieurs du Québec.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Okay, and does that mean that the folks originally scheduled for December 4 have been rescheduled to December 6? Because those were the folks who were scheduled on December 6 that have been transferred to December 11.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Chad Mariage
The department officials and the meeting that was to take place on December 6 were switched. So the department officials would be on December 6, and the meeting that was scheduled to be on December 6 is now on December 11.
So they just switched.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
I do have a slight concern, actually a fairly strong concern. We've referenced the CAW study today. It's been referenced by a number of folks. Mr. Woo cited it, as did Mr. Sinclair.
So I would strongly urge the committee to hear from Jim Stanford, the economist who did the study, so that we can question him on that, and certainly before Christmas.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
I'm sorry I didn't get up to speed on this before we came. I leave this to the clerk to work out. We had the list as provided, and I thought he did a pretty good job.
Go ahead, Mr. Bains.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
Just a point of clarification. I wanted to clarify exactly what the schedule looks like.
So on December 4, we have the minister. Is that correct?
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
And on December 6, we have department officials.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
And on December 11 we have the shipbuilders and the CME. Okay. And December 13 is consistent with—
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
Agriculture, okay.
So the CAW is not included in any of this; that's correct, right, and that's what we're discussing?
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
Right, and that's the problem. I admit that this is a concern.
So this is the situation we're in. I regret that, but....
I'm at the will of the committee, but I had presumed that there was agreement with this and didn't recognize the change until just now.
Go ahead.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Chair, if we have the minister coming, departmental officials will be coming with him. I would suggest that, in keeping with how the schedule's been adjusted, the folks who were originally scheduled for December 4 be put on the committee's agenda for December 6. And if we want to have the industry officials come back, we could do that after Christmas, but we'll have heard from the minister on this and then we can hear from departmental officials after Christmas.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
Just for clarification, the minister is technically coming here on estimates, the officials are coming here on South Korea, so it's really unrelated.
You can bump anyone. Your suggestion is you bump the....
Really, we're starting off with the department at the request of the newer members of the committee, so that they can get briefed on the whole question and background of the free trade agreement. That's why they wanted to have the officials here, to give the current status of the negotiations, where they are and the background. It would seem to make sense to have it at the front end rather than the back end. We'll get to it, it's only a question of three meetings later.
Mr. Bains.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
Just in the spirit of cooperation, is the minister able to answer questions, in the supplementary, on issues surrounding South Korea? Would that be deemed appropriate?
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
Why don't we have the department officials and the minister together on the same day? That way, we're able to accommodate the other stakeholders who it's important to see before the Christmas break.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
My sense of that, just given the nature of hearings, is when you have a minister it's a different nature of questions. When the officials are here, it's generally an information session. It really is an unbiased, non-partisan exchange and provision of information. When the minister's here, it doesn't tend to be quite that impartial or unbiased.
Are you anxious to have the CAW before Christmas?
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
I think they're important witnesses, absolutely, the reason being that they've not only done the one study but I believe they also submitted an additional economic analysis to the working group on this current negotiation process. I think they'd provide a great deal of value; hence, yes, I think they should be accommodated.