International Trade Committee on Sept. 18th, 2012

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I just want to bear in mind that it may push some of the other stuff, because I think some of the other issues are important as well, to make sure that.... I would be happy to do this, but I'd want to make sure we extend the time so we don't lose time for some of the other issues that are before us—like Panama.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

So that's your idea: you're a little nervous about carving off a half-hour?

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

As long as we're mindful of that, so that for whatever we're dealing with that day, we make we sure we have time—a half-hour is only a half-hour. I don't have a serious objection.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

Just to let you know, I would envision us having an hour and a half for the group of witnesses who are coming forward if we're dealing with a piece of legislation—which I'm sure we will be at that time. We would have maybe a greater number of panels and go for an hour and a half of questions and answers, and bring in the group for the last half-hour. That's how I envision it. I'm certainly open to the will of the committee on that.

Mr. Keddy.

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS]

I'm not sure we need a motion on this at all, Mr. Chairman. I would think we could leave it a little more open-ended. Quite frankly, if there's time at committee—or if we can make time—to have the Icelandic committee sit in on the formal committee hearings, that's always something foreign delegations seem to appreciate, and they have some understanding of the background of how a committee works.

If there's not time—because we do have some fairly important subjects to discuss—then we would simply meet with them after committee. If we could have a half-hour formal meeting during committee, I think that would benefit us and benefit them. If it's not there and there's not time—because we do have other issues to discuss—then we would arrange for a meeting afterwards at the discretion of the chair. That would be fine with me.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

Is there consensus? I don't think that's contentious.

Mr. Easter, go ahead.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Chair, I have no problem with taking half an hour and meeting jointly with the committee. I vividly recall pressuring our committee to have a joint meeting with the foreign affairs committee to look at the human rights issue in Colombia, I believe—I'm not sure which country we were dealing with at the time. It was turned down rapidly.

This time the government members seem all for having this joint meeting, and that's fine. I'm always in favour of a joint meeting—not always, but quite often—with other committees when we can serve two purposes, kill two birds with one stone.

I would be in agreement with doing it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

Just for clarification on the motion, the motion is not for the foreign affairs committee and our committee to sit for that half-hour. It's for our committee to sit with the Icelandic group. But to defray the cost of the reception after, it would be split between both committees. I've talked to the chair of foreign affairs, and he's certainly willing to do that. I believe they are asking to sit with the foreign affairs committee in the morning. I'm not 100% sure of that, but that's my understanding. That's why I think a little flexibility could make it work.

Mr. Shipley.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

I think most of it got said, but just to move along here, I would agree that we should meet with them, that they should be invited to come, as Gerald said, and that we would make them welcome at our committee. At the last half-hour or so we would move into an informal discussion with them and then move up to the reception upstairs. That's the direction.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

I think we have had clarification here, but just to make sure, I'm going to have the clerk read this motion into the record, and then we'll vote on it.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I have a point, a comment, to make.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

Let's have it.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

To be frank, what I'm worried about is not doing anything well in this case. I'm just wondering if meeting with them for 30 minutes will be doing them justice. You have people coming from Iceland to talk, and I'm not sure giving them half an hour is sufficient. I'm just wondering if what we should do is schedule an hour after we conclude our meeting. This is a Tuesday. We finish at 5:30. It's just that I know we have important stuff to discuss at each of those meetings. I personally don't want to impact on any of that time in the next little bit.

Why don't we try to meet for one hour after the meeting, from 5:30 to 6:30? I'd certainly be willing to meet at a different time on either October 1 or 2 as well.

We'll end up taking precious time from the committee and not actually doing justice to meeting with them anyway. That would be my alternative proposal.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

Just from the chair's perspective, that's the whole idea of having a more informal setting afterwards, to extend the time with them so we do have fulsome debate. My experience is that you'll get more out of that two-way communication than you will in the half-hour formal sitting. Actually, the formal sitting is more to tease ourselves with regard to the questions we maybe want to probe with them in a deeper way in a more informal setting. I think we can do justice with it in that way rather than in a whole hour of formal sitting. That's my view.

Is there any debate? I think we've heard everything.

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS]

I'm not against taking an hour afterwards.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

The informal I'm sure would take an hour anyway.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Why don't we schedule an informal from 5:30 to 6:30?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

And just leave it at that.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Yes.

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS]

I agree. Let's do that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

Okay—unless they're not available.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

We're good with that?

[Some hon. members]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Merrifield]

So we won't take any time; we'll just do the informal—