International Trade Committee on March 25th, 2013

Evidence of meeting #69 for International Trade in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was region.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Benefits for Canada in Joining the Pacific Alliance as a Full Member

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Kerry Buck Political Director and Assistant Deputy Minister, International Security, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Cameron MacKay Director General, Asia-Pacific Trade Policy Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Neil Reeder Director General, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE

It's moved, I know. I will admit that very seldom do I vote against a budget request, but I am voting against this budget request because I believe this is a waste of time when we could be doing more important work that would benefit the country rather than dealing with some nebulous thing that we haven't even got a cost-benefit analysis of yet, for heaven's sake.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

Yes, but that's a different issue.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE

I have the floor, Mr. Chair, and it is my right to speak.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

Only if I give it to you, and you're pretty close to losing it.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE

Those are my reasons. To spend more money to bring witnesses on something that we still don't have a good explanation of and spend time on it at committee is wasting our time and the witnesses' time. There's more important work that this committee ought to be doing. I will be voting against it.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

Fair enough.

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Thank you very much.

The meeting is adjourned.