Justice Committee on Feb. 9th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Yes. So it really is late in the game. We had two months. We had that discussion at our last meeting. It has taken two months for anyone to suggest witnesses and then suddenly we had all these witnesses put on the table so late in the game. We agreed that we would accommodate them.

Today the clerk received the names of two more witnesses.

Since Mr. Comartin is back, we just wanted to let you know that you'd also wanted--

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

[Inaudible--Editor]...and I've subjected him to my logic and he's now come onside. I'm going to hold him to it on a whole other different matter, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Mr. Comartin, I just wanted to bring you up to date. You had also wanted Stats Canada to come.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

They weren't available for the three days that we had sort of agreed to hear witnesses on, but they happened to be available on the day on which we had scheduled clause-by-clause, so we've tentatively scheduled them for the beginning, on the Wednesday. So we are accommodating them, but it will be on the same day as we start clause-by-clause, subject to any further discussion around this table. That's just an update for you.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I guess the one concern I've had.... I've been trying to get somebody to talk to me so I can tell them what specific information I want and that I think would benefit the committee's consideration, and nobody is calling me back from StatsCan. I will be persistent, but perhaps something from the chair's office would help.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

I'd be glad to help, I certainly would, so you could get some information ahead of time. That might be helpful.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I'm quite concerned they are going to show, as they have in the past.... Mr. Ménard's complaint and mine is that you don't see anything in advance. They come with the book. When they get here, we see it at that point. There are some specific points in terms of the history of some of these sections, and I think it is important for the committee to understand what has happened.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

All right. What I'll do is ask the clerk to notify Stats Canada that we really would like to have an advance copy of their presentation by Monday morning. Does that sound reasonable?

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

That would be fine.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

We'll get it out to you as fast as we can--

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

--because we are trying to accommodate everybody.

But the names of the last two witnesses, I mean...they were given to the clerk today. So Monsieur Ménard wants to add another day for witnesses. What's the will of the committee?

Mr. Dechert.

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

With all due respect, Mr. Chair, I don't want to go over the history that we discussed at the subcommittee meeting, but I think everyone knows that we had agreed in December to four meetings to study Bill C-54. We had a six-week break when people had ample time to review the legislation and propose witnesses. That apparently didn't happen in several cases.

We came back. We had another subcommittee meeting. We agreed to almost double the amount of time for review of the bill. We had an agreement to deal with it in seven, and now, at the very next meeting, we are being asked to increase the amount of time again. We have to live by our commitments at the subcommittee meeting or else the committee just cannot function on a reasonable basis.

We've been told by witnesses that this legislation is very important, and that every day we delay, children are being sexually abused. I believe this is legislation that people want us to deal with quickly.

We all know there is a possibility that we won't be here beyond the end of March because of the threat of a possible spring election. I don't think any of us.... I think all parties have said that they think certainly a large part--if not all--of this bill is important and they support it. I think it behooves us all as members of Parliament to do our utmost best to get this legislation passed and back to the House and, hopefully, sent off to the Senate before the threat of any spring election that might occur around the end of March.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Monsieur Ménard, if I can just make a proposal, this might work. It just came to mind that on the Monday, we could split the panel into two groups, one group of two and one group of three. If we do that, as you know, the rotation changes, and it actually gives the opposition more time to ask questions than if there were one full rotation.

When we do the rotation, it would be seven, seven, seven, and seven, then five, five, and five. By that time we're done, right? Then you get a second rotation like that again. If you add up all the time involved, the opposition gets a significantly greater amount of time. That might accommodate Monsieur Ménard's concern that he won't have enough time to ask questions.

If we do split the panel, it means the government has less time to ask questions, but it's perhaps an accommodation we can make to stay within the timeframe, but still accommodate your concern.

[Serge Ménard, Bloc, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

I would really appreciate it if you could. I admit I was wrong, but the idea is important.

Thank you very much for this suggestion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

I just need the approval.... Is the government supportive of doing that?

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

I'm sorry. I didn't hear you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

The suggestion is that instead of having one panel we would go to two, which, as you know, would give the opposition a little more time to ask questions and the government a little less, but--

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Yes. On the same day--

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

--we would still get it done within the timeframe.

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

All right. Then I think we have consensus here. That's great.

Could we then adopt this report?

[An hon. member]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Fast]

Mr. Comartin.