National Defence Committee on March 23rd, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Mr. Harris.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Chair, we all have to exercise our judgment, despite the circumstances. I think I've made very clear my distaste with the lack of a proper process here and the lack of a proper amount of time to get the best result, but I don't think the perfect should be the enemy of the good, or whatever the phrase is. With that in mind, I think we've seen considerable progress from clause 75 as drafted. Maybe we should have another go at this at another time. I don't know if we'll be given the opportunity in the new Parliament, and whether we'll all be here or not is a different matter. I accept that there is some common sense operating in terms of laying charges, and we shouldn't be too theoretical about this and maybe we should give this a chance to work because it is a step forward. Clause 75 itself is a step forward and this is a further step.

With that in mind, without making any commitments as to what might happen in the House, I'm prepared to see the question called and have this motion dealt with by the committee at this time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

I shall now call the question on the government amendment.

I will quote the reference number that is found in the top left corner of the motion that relates to what we always have called option 3: in the English version it is e075-049-07c; in the French version it is f075-049-07b. This is what we have discussed all afternoon and called option 3.

(Amendment agreed to)

We will now go to the proposed amendment to clause 75 moved by the NDP.

Mr. Harris, NDP-8,

I believe you are going to withdraw it because it had been set aside.

I see there is a consensus.

(Amendment withdrawn)

So I will now call the question on clause 75.

(Clause 75 as amended agreed to)

Let us move to clause 1.

(Clause 1 agreed to)

Shall the title carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Shall the bill as amended carry?

[Some hon. members]

Carried.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

On division.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Shall I report the bill as amended to the House at the earliest opportunity?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Probably not.

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Fine, I will report to the House at the earliest opportunity.

Shall the committee order a reprint of Bill C-41?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Perfect, the bill shall be reprinted.

I want to thank you. This concludes our consideration of Bill C-41, An Act to amend the National Defence Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Could I put a question to the parliamentary secretary?

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Yes, Mr. Bachand.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

I would like to know if it is the parliamentary secretary's intention to submit the bill for third reading tomorrow.

Is it your intention?

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

I would like to find a way, and I'm not a procedural expert, to have this dealt with at report stage and third reading at the same time--

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Both, in the House.

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

--so we can get it to the Senate and hopefully get it through. Obviously, the House leaders will negotiate that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Before proceeding with the second part of our meeting, I will suspend for a few minutes in order to welcome our new witnesses.

I want to thank you, Colonel Patrick Gleeson and Lieutenant-Colonel André Dufour for your participation in our proceedings. You have been very helpful. Your explanations today were certainly very useful for all members.

I will suspend the meeting for a few minutes before we go to the second part of our agenda.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Good afternoon. We are resuming the 55^th meeting of the Standing Committee on National Defence.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), and the motion adopted on Monday, March 21, 2011, we are now going to have a briefing on the situation in Libya.

We are honoured to have with us, from the Department of National Defence,

Rear-Admiral Robert Davidson, director of strategic joint staff. Thank you for being with us.

Also, we have with us, Jill Sinclair. She is

assistant deputy minister, policy. Welcome, Ms. Sinclair, and thank you for being with us.

We also have with us Major-General Tom Lawson, who is Assistant Chief Air Staff, as well as Brigadier-General Bernard Blaise Cathcart, who is Judge Advocate General for the Canadian Forces.

I will give you the floor for seven minutes, after which committee members will put questions to you.

Yes, Mr. Bachand?

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

I tabled a motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

Yes, it is being distributed.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Will it be discussed later or would you prefer that it be dealt with now?

[The Chair, Conservative, Maxime Bernier]

We will deal with that later.