International Trade Committee on Feb. 27th, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

All right, so we will try to have our witnesses come back on Thursday, either virtually or in person.

Is the ambassador...?

Okay. The ambassador is available on Thursday.

Is there agreement, then, that we will resume on Thursday, in person or virtually, with these witnesses, and the ambassador to follow, as was on the record for today?

Everybody's okay? All right. Then that's what we're doing.

Witnesses, it's now 4:52 p.m., according to the clock, so if you would like to leave, you are free to do so—or you can stay and enjoy the messaging.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

It's up to you.

Yes, Mr. Savard-Tremblay.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

I think it's great to see the Conservatives having a grand old time because they ruined the meeting. They're laughing about it, they're having fun, and they're saying they will be there. It just goes to show what a circus this is.

That being said, you're inviting the witnesses to stay. I'd like to make it clear that, if they decided to leave the meeting and this circus ended, their testimony wouldn't be swept under the rug. I want us to make sure of that. In other words, at the next meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday, if we were to finish this and there was time to begin the study, I'd like it to be made clear that our witnesses won't be penalized if they choose to leave.

I have one more point. I'd like to know why the notice of meeting indicated that, this time, the meeting would end at 6:00 p.m. I imagine it was to give the ambassador more time. Since there are no witnesses, can we finish at the usual time, 5:30 p.m.?

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

We will, because if our witnesses leave and then our ambassador.... We did that specifically in order to ensure the ambassador had a full hour. The ambassador will have a full hour on Thursday, which will be until 6:00 p.m. Tonight's meeting will end at 5:30, which is our normal time.

Does the committee want to suspend for a moment, while the witnesses leave? The witnesses are free to get up and leave...or stay.

You can pay money for this if you like, and you can't get that much entertainment. Thank you very much.

Mr. Baldinelli, you have the floor.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Madam Chair, I'll continue. I was concluding here.

As we get back to how it all ties into why we're doing this now based on the Auditor General's report, the shocking results of this Auditor General's report must be followed up on to ensure it never happens again. How is this relevant to us, the members of the international trade committee? For one, we will immediately begin working on the study of another CBSA digitization project, CARM, which will have major impacts and ramifications on our import, export and brokerage sectors, impacting our supply chains.

That's why I believe it's relevant. That's why I ask it be added to the supply chain study. Again, we're not asking for the six meetings to be expanded upon; we're just saying that ArriveCAN should also be examined as part of that six-day study window.

I think it's a reasonable request, Madam Chair.

With that, I will conclude my comments.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Miao.

[Wilson Miao, Liberal, Richmond Centre, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I really feel bad for the witnesses who came here today. Hearing from the member opposite talking about his motion, there are a lot of things that are misleading Canadians. I represent the riding of Richmond Centre, which is also an airport riding. With what we see now, it's completely different from what he has talked about. I'm not going to take up too much time, but I'd like to move to adjourn the debate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Miao has moved to adjourn the debate.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Madam Chair, I have another motion I would like to move forward.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

It's five o'clock.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

I'll introduce the motion. If my colleague wants to speak to it, then we can vote on it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Is it that same one?

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

This is a second motion that I had put forward. I can read it into—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

You don't want to have a vote on the one you just spoke to for the last hour and a half.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

You just adjourned—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Yes. I adjourned debate, so we can't do that one. We'll go on to another one.

Which one would you like?

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Madam Chair, if I could, I'll read it into the record.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Identify which one it is, because we have so many.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

It deals with ArriveCAN—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

They all deal with it.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

It has the September 18, 2023 date in there. It would have been identified as number 5 in the package that was sent out.

I'll read it:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study to review the government response dated September 18, 2023 to the study concerning The ArriveCAN Digital Tool: Impacts on Certain Canadian Sectors, and in light of recent findings about ArriveCAN revealed by the Auditor General of Canada, ensure that the government's response to this study remain relevant and that the government take immediate actions to ensure future applications impacting trade, travel and tourism are fully costed, budgeted, procured and accountable, so that this scandalous wasteful spending never happens again; and that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I have Maninder, and then I have Mr. Seeback.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Madam Speaker, I move to adjourn the meeting today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

We need a recorded vote on that.