Justice Committee on Dec. 7th, 2023

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Thank you.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

I'm sorry, Madam Chair—

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

Go ahead, Mr. Van Popta.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

I have a great deal of respect for you. You're a great chair, but you did not answer my question. What is the statutory deadline for the minister to appear?

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

The minister can appear at any point in time that the committee requests the minister, but in terms of the supplementary estimates, in order to go back to the House, I was told that it was last Monday.

The clerk can explain that. I think Mr. Housefather already explained it. If that is not enough, I'm sure your staff can explain it as well.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

I'm not so sure.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

I have a very good staff, but—

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

If you're really being honest and serious and you're not understanding, the clerk will explain. That's not a problem. We're happy to do that.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

What is the statutory deadline, and what are the consequences of our having missed it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

There are no consequences that I'm aware of.

Go ahead, Mr. Clerk.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Jean-François Lafleur]

On the supplementary estimates (B), the last supply day is today. We have to count backwards on this for the time limit for the committee to report the supplementary estimates (B). It would have been last Monday at Routine Proceedings, of course. That's the time frame we have, according to, I believe, Standing Order 81(5).

Secondly, since we don't know what the last supply day will be ahead of time, it's difficult to establish or to have a date on which we are absolutely sure we can report to the House.

Given that, we can always have a study on the supplementary estimates, on the subject matter. The difference between a subject matter study and the one under Standing Order 81(5) is that we cannot vote anymore on each and every credit, because they have been deemed reported to the House.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

This is just for clarification. I'm not trying to be difficult.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

No, no. I understand.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

The consequences are that, having missed the deadline, this committee is deemed to have approved the supplements.

[The Clerk]

They're reported without amendments. Let's put it that way.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

It would be the same in each and every committee, obviously.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

I understand that. It's just that I want to know why we missed the deadline.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

I believe it's the opposition that decides—again, I've only been here since September 2021, and this is different from provincial—what the last opposition day is. That was decided, and it's today. We wouldn't have known that. Then you count backwards.

In any case, those dates are not within the purview of the chair of a committee.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

It's in your purview to change the meeting agenda.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

Yes. That's right. That's part of my administrative duty as the chair. It was done on the basis of the understanding we had that we needed to deal with Bill C-40 and not get any other witnesses.

Would you like to proceed, or do you have orders that you don't want to deal with Bill C-40?

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

I think we're ready to proceed. Can we just verify who is on the speaking list as of now?

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

No one. That's it. There's no one else on the speaking list.

(On clause 2)

There are no amendments for clause 2.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Madam Chair, I would like to speak to clause 2.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

Go ahead, Mr. Moore.