Evidence of meeting #39 for National Defence in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was program.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Gilles Labbé  President and Chief Executive Officer, Héroux-Devtek Inc.
Thomas Beach  President, Handling Specialty Manufacturing Ltd.
Maurice Guitton  President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Sales Office, Composites Atlantic Limited

5:10 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

We're going to name one.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

We'll name one for sure, but I'll make you say his name, not me.

5:10 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

Oh, well, I don't need to say his name. Everybody knows his name. He's the most knowledgeable lawyer on military law in Canada.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

Good Lord.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier

Merci, Jack

So I think we have to decide.

For next Tuesday, we have a proposal to have the minister for an hour and the steering committee for another hour. We also have a proposal to have a full steering committee for two hours.

Mr. Wilfert.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Richmond Hill, ON

Mr. Chairman, I think it might be helpful if we could get in to the clerk by early Monday a list of any of our suggested witnesses and any suggested topics we want to see for the next term, and give the clerk some idea in terms of a calendar suggestion. That way, when we come in, we can deal with it in the steering committee—and here I like Mr. Harris's suggestion—and then go into a full committee and ratify it. Then we can then go forward with our trip at the beginning of February, followed by the minister, followed by our dealing with the bill.

It's a suggestion, Mr. Chairman.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier

Okay.

Mr. Harris.

5:15 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

I don't disagree with that in a general way, but I want to go back to the debate we had very early in this committee. The chair will remember my concern, as a new member of this committee, at seeing our calendar always full and at seeing important things and breaking news happening all around us and the committee being unable do anything about them, because we were committed to this, this, and that, because our calendar was full.

I think we've got away from that a little bit over the last year, which is a good thing. If something happened, we had either the minister in or someone responsible or someone else to tell us about it. I'd like to keep that flexibility. So if we're talking about filling up our calendar, I think we should be a little bit wary of that.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier

Yes, I understand that.

I understand that on next Tuesday we'll have two hours for the steering committee. Also, as Mr. Wilfert said....

I'm sorry, Monsieur Bachand.

5:15 p.m.

Bloc

Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC

It would be very important that we have an hour for the steering committee to meet, followed by an hour for the full committee to meet, so that it can approve what the steering committee has decided. Otherwise, we'll get held up.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

We may not be here, anyway.

5:15 p.m.

Bloc

Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC

The best solution would be for the steering committee to meet for an hour, which isn't very long. Then, the full committee would meet.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Richmond Hill, ON

Get your suggestions in. That would give you an idea, and then we could go for one hour.

5:15 p.m.

Bloc

Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC

That would be good.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

One hour and another hour, yes.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier

Okay, so do we have a consensus on that proposal?

5:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier

Okay, Monsieur Bachand?

Next Tuesday it will be the steering committee in the first hour, and the full committee for the second hour. The full committee will be able to approve the report.

Also, as Mr. Wilfert said, if you have any suggestions before Monday about the witnesses—

5:15 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

Before Monday or by Monday? Do you mean Sunday night?

Hold on. I don't like these deadlines that end up being Friday afternoon.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier

No, no, I'm sorry, that's not a deadline. It's just a suggestion.

5:15 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

A suggestion.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier

Think about it.

The goal of our meeting for next Tuesday is to have the discussion on that Tuesday, just for your information.

5:15 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

So that's on Monday.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Richmond Hill, ON

On Monday, yes.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Maxime Bernier

Yes.

Thank you very much.

That's it. That's all.

This ends the 39th session of the Standing Committee on National Defence.

The session is adjourned.