Evidence of meeting #25 for International Trade in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was going.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON
It would also save us in the budget in terms of doing a trip to Europe and back and a trip to Jordan and back.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON
You actually would be saving taxpayers a lot of money by doing that.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
That's a good idea.
Mr. Holder, Monsieur Laforest, and then Mr. Trost.
Mr. Holder.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
Thank you, Chair.
Just to help us with our spring deliberations, I noted that Mr. Julian mentioned the election in the spring. I was just thinking that for the purposes of trying to clarify when we're going to travel, if he doesn't mind telling us when the spring election is going to be so we can nail that down, I'd be very grateful.
3:45 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
3:45 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
I didn't get the memo your caucus sent out, so you'll have to tell us.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
I was just feeding on his comment, sir, because it could be helpful to them.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
You know, it's just great to have you back, Mr. Holder, and being so helpful, just as Mr. Keddy has always been so helpful with Mr. Julian.
Maybe I could just remind the committee, if you're not aware, that the Jordan free trade bill has been referred to this committee, so that's definitely going to be early on in the agenda.
Well, I think we're getting some progress here.
Monsieur Laforest.
3:45 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Chair, I think that is in line with what we said in June when the committee ended its work. We had discussed a possible trip to Brussels, as you mentioned. The important thing with respect to the European Union—and I think this needs to be the priority in terms of travel, if it is necessary—is that the trip be well organized and that everyone—or as many people as possible—is able to go.
I think we should take some time during Monday's meeting to discuss it further. As everyone knows, there is a debate taking place in the House right now on the Canada-Panama Free Trade Act. I need to leave soon, and I think we should discuss this further on Monday. But we have no real objections to planning a trip to Brussels in the fall, in order to see what is happening with the European Union negotiations, be it in early or mid November, something like that. There is no problem.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
Good. I'm sensing a bit of a consensus forming here.
I have to get back to the House as well. They're debating Panama as we speak. We're all missing the minister's speech, and I know that you want to hurry back there to try to catch that.
Mr. Trost.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Bradley Trost Conservative Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK
I don't think I'm going to add too much.
The idea of combining Jordan with Europe works great. The one comment I will make is that it might be good to do it the week after the remembrance break week. It's sometimes easier to do connections and stuff coming off a break week than it is necessarily running back and forth to the constituency. Those of us who travel a long way know that it always takes a long time.
So that's just my suggestion, that we aim for the week of Monday, November 15, to do our meeting so that we can pack it together more tightly.
But Europe and Jordan at the same time seems to make sense.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Lee Richardson
Well, that's pretty good. I think we are getting....
The clerk has taken some notes here, and I think what we'll do....
Mr. Keddy, perhaps I could ask you to consult with the department and just get a rough sense from them on how planning might work, even for Monday. I think we might start off by pursuing EU and Jordan in the third week of November. It seems to be a kind of general consensus on where we're going. Let's have it as a place to start from, anyway, on Monday. Any other ideas you have or think about over the intervening time, bring those thoughts on Monday.
I think we should wrap it up. This has been very helpful. We can now get to the House, if that's what we want to do, for the debate on Panama.
Thank you again. Thank you for your confidence in the chair. I'm happy to work with all of you again.
We're adjourned.