Evidence of meeting #4 for National Defence in the 41st Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was shilo.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Peter Kent
Yes.
(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)
Are we prepared to vote on the main motion?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Peter Kent
It will be a recorded vote, Clerk.
(Motion negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)
Moving on with this morning's business, colleagues, you've received the first report of the subcommittee on agenda and procedure. It is proposed that on December 5 we have a one-day trip to Canadian Forces Base Petawawa for the purpose of studying the ill and injured. It is estimated we would be on the ground that day for approximately four working hours. The trip would be by bus from Ottawa, returning to Ottawa in time for those who would be travelling that evening.
The second trip would be in the new year, and it's proposed that we travel to Canadian Forces Base Shilo. It would be a day-and-a-half trip. The precise dates and days would be decided by this committee. Again, it will be for the purposes of studying the care of the ill and injured.
Are there comments or discussion?
Mr. Harris.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
I want to speak in favour of that. We discussed it in the subcommittee. Both of these trips to these bases would be useful, and having one before Christmas would be good.
Was there an expectation that we would check with whips before that on the Friday? I didn't do that for December 5. Does anyone know if the whips have been consulted?
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
It's only a question of not being around for question period on that day.
I haven't consulted my whip, so I just want to put that on the table.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Peter Kent
The committee will consider it first, and we'll then consult whips.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
Anyway, I want to speak in favour of both trips. Shilo would be a worthwhile visit and it could dovetail with our other stuff.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
You mentioned that the report on the consideration of the subcommittee was circulated. I never saw it.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Further to Jack's question about the whips allowing us to go, his concern is with question period on Thursday. Mine is whether all whips will let our members go. Really we're not getting as much done as we can over the course of time, even before we do our report, if we lose members, so the more members of the committee who can travel, the better.
With that in mind, I'm wondering if the clerk has considered.... Before we even go that far, if we have consensus among our members, perhaps we could try for the Shilo trip on a Monday. So when we're coming into town, instead of stopping in Ottawa on Sunday night, we'd go directly to Shilo and spend the day there. Very rarely is there a vote on a Monday, and the whips will much more likely enable committee members to travel if we schedule it that way. That would take time out of your Sunday, so I would want some agreement among the members that they would be willing to do so before proposing that to the clerk.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Of course, we're looking forward to having everybody in sunny Manitoba to experience our hospitality at first hand. Winter is always a great time to be in Manitoba, especially on the prairie.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
WestJet does fly into Brandon, but getting from Brandon to Winnipeg would have to be by bus. We could do WestJet in; there's definitely the in and out from Regina. From the west, it's easy to get into Brandon. It's a little more problematic coming from the east.
We can look at logistics that way, but if we do come in on Sunday night, we can spend the whole day in Shilo, and then probably the next morning at 1 Air Command in Winnipeg. Then we can fly back and we'll be back in time for votes on Tuesday night. That's my suggestion.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Peter Kent
Thank you very much.
Colleagues, for your attention, the first report, if you'll look down at the bottom, referred to a double visit, a visit to both Winnipeg and Shilo. But the clerk, in working the logistics, saw that it would be a minimum three-day trip, which I think, given the conditions and the consideration of whip permission, is not likely to occur, so our proposal is to limit it to the day and a half and make it a Shilo only visit.
Mr. Harris.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
The clerk can deal with that, but is it possible...? I'm the one coming the farthest, I guess, to Manitoba, although it's supposed to be the centre of the country, isn't it?
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
I'll let Joyce speak for herself, but if part of the logistics is getting there, and if it is actually possible to get to Brandon on Sunday, that would be one day of the three days, perhaps. I'm willing to travel on Sunday to get to Brandon that night. It might involve leaving early in the morning to get there at night, but I'm prepared to do it. If that's one of the days, then we possibly could do Shilo and Winnipeg in the same trip. I don't know if the clerk can...?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Peter Kent
I think another day would be necessary, simply given the travel to Brandon and back and then to spend meaningful time on the ground in the two locations.
Mr. Bezan.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
It's a two-and-a half-hour drive from Winnipeg to Shilo. If we have to travel via Winnipeg, then we should take the opportunity to go to 1 Air Command at 17 Wing, right at the international airport. We're going to be right by it.
One time before this we had committed to going to 1 Air Command, and I would hope that we could still fit that in. I've been through there. It would only take a few hours, especially after most of us have been down to NORAD in Colorado Springs. This is their regional headquarters for Canada, as well as for other logistical support that's run out of 1 Air Command. It would be worth our while to see it as part of our defence of North America study.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Peter Kent
With Sunday travel, Clerk, would that be possible? With a Monday late-night return?