International Trade Committee on March 9th, 2015

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

Yes. The minister is pretty capable of answering anything. We want to look at the main estimates and try to get some feedback. I think it would be helpful, following this afternoon's discussion, to know what he's hearing from the SMEs as well, as we move forward to the recommendations.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

It seems to me you want to have range for various kinds of questions, right?

[The Chair, Conservative, Randy Hoback]

Mr. Davies.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I think it's a good motion. We haven't had the minister come here in quite a while. I think it's always helpful and instructive to have him come here, but I feel that in general it's most helpful to the committee when the minister comes in after that plans and priorities report has been tabled, because there could be something in the report that the minister would like to comment on or that we would like to question the minister about. So that's a friendly amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Randy Hoback]

Why don't we deal with the friendly amendment first? I sense consensus on that, so I will do a vote on that at this point, and then we'll come back to your amendment, Mr. Davies.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I just want to be clear about this. When the minister comes, we usually have range to ask the minister questions on anything trade-related.

[The Chair, Conservative, Randy Hoback]

Again, if you start opening it up, I have to be a little bit careful here. Historically this committee has allowed you to have a lot of latitude to go that way, and I see no reason not to do that unless the members start raising points of order, in which case I'll refer back to the original motion.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

The reason is that generally we can use the tortured technique of saying what isn't in the estimates. Now I notice what's not in the estimates..... So you get to it one way or the other, but we're not planning on being irrelevant. I just want to be clear that when we talk about coming here for the estimates and this, I don't think there's a need to mention this particular study, because I think that would be part of the questioning that would be proper in any event.

[The Chair, Conservative, Randy Hoback]

Again, I just need consensus about including it in there. I don't see it limiting our proceedings.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Okay. As long as it's not limited then.... But why put in a reference to one issue—the SME study—at all then?

[A voice]

It's so we can move forward and then go to your motion.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Oh, okay. It's purely pragmatic. Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Randy Hoback]

Those in favour of the amendment?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Randy Hoback]

We'll go back to the main motion.

Mr. Davies, you wanted to make an amendment to this again?

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I believe the motion is to have him here before May 30. That's the outside time for the minister to be here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Randy Hoback]

If we bring him forward with the main estimates, then basically we have to go through the main estimates and approve our portion of them, and they have to be tabled back in the House by...I'm sorry, but I don't know the date.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Christine Holke David]

It's around that time. There are allotted days, and it depends.

[The Chair, Conservative, Randy Hoback]

I'd want to get it done before then; otherwise, they're deemed reported.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

I'm advised that it's May 31, I think.

So my amendment is simply to not call the minister until after the planning and priority report is tabled, but no later than May 31. It's in that gap period.

[The Chair, Conservative, Randy Hoback]

Okay.

Mr. Cannan.

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

I just wondered if the clerk knows when the planning and priority report is to be available.

[The Clerk]

No, it's in March usually, but I don't know the exact date.

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

I'm just curious because I know we have only two weeks in April.

[The Chair, Conservative, Randy Hoback]

We have a couple of options here. We could table this and then get the exact dates if you so choose, and then bring it back on Wednesday. We understand the spirit of the motion, so if you don't need fixed dates in the motion, Mr. Davies, the spirit of the motion would be such that it would be after planning and priorities and before main estimates are deemed—