Evidence of meeting #1 for International Trade in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was meeting.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Rémi Bourgault
Alexandre Gauthier  Committee Researcher
Simon Richards  Committee Researcher

9 a.m.

An hon. member

We don't have that one.

9 a.m.

Liberal

Kyle Peterson Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON

The proposal is different from last year's.

9 a.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

Okay. My apologies.

9 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking

Sorry. There are new proposals. That's why they're coming here. It's pretty well on, what you're saying.

9 a.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

Basically, you're looking at six minutes, just to clarify.

9 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking

It's six minutes for the first round.

9 a.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

It's six minutes for the second round, so everybody gets six minutes, basically, and then there would be an NDP at the end, if there's time, for three minutes.

One thing I was looking at, Chair, is the actual order of the questioning. Right now, if I read it right, it would be Conservative, Liberal, NDP, Liberal; then Liberal, Conservative, Liberal, Conservative, NDP. I would almost propose that, since you do have the majority, that the Liberal go first, so you'd go Liberal, Conservative, NDP, Liberal; then Conservative, Liberal, Liberal, Conservative. That way you'd have the rotation through, and you wouldn't have Liberals back to back, and the government would have the first chance at witnesses.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking

For some reason, the opposition was always first out of the gate. Maybe it's in case.... I don't know. You know how up here sometimes there are votes, and you get these witnesses? I don't know if that was the reason that the opposition was always the first to get a question. You know how it goes. All of a sudden, we just get going.

I don't think, as the chair, that the Liberals would mind going first, but I think there was a reason why the official opposition went first. It's just because many times there's an interruption, so at least they get their question in. That's the only reason I think it's there, but if you guys want to change it, that would be up to the rest, of course.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

We have no issues. All I'd do, then, is suggest that, just so you don't have the Liberals back-to-back, when you finish off the second round with the Liberal, we leave the first round the same: Conservative, Liberal, NDP, Liberal. Start the second round off with a Conservative, then Liberal, Conservative, Liberal.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

Either we leave it like this—

Sorry, go ahead.

9:05 a.m.

NDP

Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON

I would like to have the opportunity to speak, as well, in the second round. I don't want to be cut out of that second round.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

You're not. You will still have that.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

You'd be the third place.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking

Do you see where you're in the second round?

9:05 a.m.

NDP

Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON

Okay, yes. Sorry, it was just that the way he just read it, he didn't say the NDP at the end.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

That's my mistake.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking

Before it used to be the NDP. The Liberals, when we were there, didn't get the second round, but I think now the NDP's getting a place.

Go ahead, Mr. Dhaliwal.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Hoback's suggestion was to change it. I think it's better if we leave it this way right now, because then everybody has a chance to speak. Sometimes, what happens is, if we move those Liberals and Conservatives around, it might not be fair according to the representation that we have.

This way, everybody gets...even the NDP. If I look at the previous Parliaments, it's my understanding that the third party did not have the second round. It's pretty fair to all parties.

I would propose that we leave the motion as it is.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

I'm okay with that.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking

It's not a big deal.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

I just want to confirm what we're doing, then. We'd go round one, Conservative, six minutes; Liberal, six minutes; NDP, six minutes; Liberal, six minutes. We'd go into round two with Liberal, six minutes; Conservative, six minutes; Liberal, six minutes; and Conservative, five minutes or six minutes?

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

Five minutes.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK

So it's five minutes, and the NDP, three minutes.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC

Yes, five, and the NDP, three.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Mark Eyking

Okay, because there's a total of 50 minutes that we always try to keep.