Justice Committee on May 3rd, 2022

[The Clerk]

It's 48 hours.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

What happens on the weekend?

[The Clerk]

It's more tricky there. I will have to check.

[A voice]

The sooner the better, right?

[The Clerk]

Yes.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

I guess the amendments would be submitted by the end of the day on the 13th.

[The Chair, Liberal, Randeep Sarai]

I think the clerk asked if we could get amendments by the 11th or 12th, but I guess it would be the 13th.

Do we have consensus for seven meetings?

I see some nods.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

How many witnesses are we going to hear per meeting?

[The Chair, Liberal, Randeep Sarai]

If there are six per day times three, then it would be 18, or roughly 18.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

So who are the six witnesses on the list we're going to tell we won't be hearing them? Have we already identified them?

[The Clerk]

It's done by invitation. I won't have to tell them they won't be appearing, since they haven't been invited. Obviously, that's not my decision. I do what the committee tells me to do.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

I don't know how everybody does it, but the reason I put a witness on the list is that I have spoken to them and they are prepared to testify. So they're waiting for you to call them, since I'm not the one who issues the official summons, it's you. If the witnesses aren't waiting to be summoned, I imagine that's not as bad, but if that's the case, it's not an ideal solution.

I see that a number of witnesses have asked to be summoned. Maybe they are the ones we will decide not to invite, if that's the case.

[The Clerk]

I'll explain how I proceed. I always send you the list of people who are asking to appear and the list submitted by the parties. Sometimes, they don't match. There are people who are asking to appear, but their names aren't on any list. So those people aren't invited. I only invite the people whose name appears on the lists given to me by the parties.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Right.

[The Chair, Liberal, Randeep Sarai]

Monsieur Fortin, I think we have consensus—I saw nods—for seven. We'll do that.

Last, in regard to a trip, I think the deadline is Friday for me to submit. I had sent it out to the vice-chairs. I didn't hear back, but I spoke to both of them.

I'll send you details of a proposed trip, which we can amend. If we can agree to submitting that by Friday, that would be the other course of business. I'll submit that by the end of tonight, or in the morning, if I can, and then we'll go from there.

Go ahead, Mr. Anandasangaree.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Just to clarify, maybe the clerk could give us the specific timeline for the amendments to be submitted.

[The Clerk]

I'm not sure. When will we begin the clause-by-clause study?

[The Chair, Liberal, Randeep Sarai]

We will go on until the 13th, I think.

[The Clerk]

With witnesses included?

[The Chair, Liberal, Randeep Sarai]

Yes. Then clause-by-clause will be—

[The Clerk]

It will be on the 17th.

[The Chair, Liberal, Randeep Sarai]

Yes.

[A voice]

Until the 20th.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Again, just so we're clear, if we're not done on the 20th, then we're not—

[The Chair, Liberal, Randeep Sarai]

Then you will have to [Inaudible—Editor].