Evidence of meeting #6 for Library of Parliament in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was documents.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
I like Senator Duffy's approach more than what David said, and I'll tell you why.
We gave them this four and half years ago, and what's happened? I think it's going to be four and half years, and we're still going to be talking about it if we wait for them to get these groups in.
Why don't we take a meeting, or part of meeting at least, and have these groups in? We'll get the real goods from them, and then we can give clear direction as to what they should be doing.
The Joint Chair Hon. Lucie Moncion
I'm going to take this a bit further.
I am told there is a committee of the House that is looking at this. It's PROC. What I'm suggesting here is that, if we do table a report in the Senate and the House of Commons, we ask PROC to give us an update of where they are on this, because you don't necessarily want to duplicate the work. I understand we want to hear witnesses, but we should ask at what stage that project is with PROC. From there, we would have the next step to say that they're not moving ahead with this, so we will start moving ahead, pushing for witnesses and looking at different options so this can move forward.
It can be done through letters tp PROC signed by the co-chairs. We could do both. We could send a letter and we could have a report.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
In the meantime, maybe we could invite the group tentatively, because time is passing. We're coming to the end of the year. Let's get them on the schedule in a couple of weeks, maybe, and that will give you a chance to hear back from PROC.
Would that work time-wise? The clerks don't look too confident that might work. Will it?
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
I was going to suggest that I take my motion that expresses our intention to continue as well as send a letter to PROC—where I sit also, not surprisingly—to figure out how to advance on this.
Nothing will happen later than next March. That's the latest things can happen. That's the deadline we're giving them. If stuff happens earlier, that's even better.
The Joint Chair Hon. Lucie Moncion
Okay, but now you're saying that we would be sending the letter, and in the letter your motion would be...?
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
The motion is to express our intention to the library and the clerks that we want this done. I think that's the intention of us all, that we want this done. Tell me if I'm wrong.
The letter is to ask what the status is, as you were discussing.
I don't know exactly what your question is, so I can't answer right now.
The Joint Chair Hon. Lucie Moncion
I just want to get this right.
Do you want the letter to the library?
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
The motion passed here. The motion, as I wrote it and sent it to your clerk, doesn't say to whom. It says we want this to happen, and we want an update. We can figure out whom that update is going to come from, but we want the update.
I think accessibility issues are what you wanted to ask PROC about. The letter to PROC and the motion don't have to be the same thing. You can send a letter to PROC as well as pass the motion expressing our intentions.
Yellowhead, CPC
I would like to make a motion that we adopt his motion now, because we're going to need it to do the letter.
I make the motion that we adopt the motion as prepared by David Graham and get it on the floor so it's here.
The Joint Chair Hon. Lucie Moncion
Okay. We'll do it in two steps.
Are we in favour of Mr. Graham's motion?
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Are we in agreement with Mr. Eglinski's motion?
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
His motion was to do my motion and to do what I said in it.
The Joint Chair Hon. Lucie Moncion
Okay. So we got yes to both.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The Joint Chair Hon. Lucie Moncion
Now we'll work with the letter. Do we agree to send the letter to PROC?
NDP
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Salaberry—Suroît, QC
I agree with the letter. I would just like to know whether we should set a deadline for a response. If we want this to be done before the end of the fiscal year, they would have to respond beforehand, so that we can evaluate their answer.
Could it be before the end of November, or, if not, at the end of the year?
NDP
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Perhaps it would have to be before Parliament rises. Parliament is supposed to adjourn around December 15.
We can ask for it before the House adjourns.
The Joint Clerk Mr. Paul Cardegna
The last sitting day in the House of Commons is December 14.
The Joint Chair Hon. Lucie Moncion
December 14. We can ask for that. We still had to look at Senator Duffy's motion.
The Joint Clerk Mr. Paul Cardegna
On behalf of the co-chair, is there agreement amongst the committee for Senator Duffy's motion to invite representatives of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities to appear as part of the study?
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
I'm not ready for that one yet, only because I think it's the next step and we're not quite there yet. I agree with the principle, but I think we're one step away from that.