Evidence of meeting #1 for National Defence in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was minutes.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Michael MacPherson
Katherine Simonds  Committee Researcher
Marie Dumont  Committee Researcher
Evelyn Lukyniuk  Committee Clerk

February 24th, 2020 / 4:35 p.m.

Evelyn Lukyniuk Committee Clerk

We don't know if it's going to be the 23rd. It's three days before the 26th or three days before the last supply day has been designated. We don't know when the last day would be designated.

4:35 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB

We do know the last supply day is the 27th.

4:35 p.m.

Committee Clerk

Evelyn Lukyniuk

Yes, but in theory the government could designate all the last supply days this week which would mean that they would be deemed reported back.

4:35 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB

Right. They could move the yardstick south. We know the end date, but they can move it forward.

4:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon

The amendment to that main motion would change the words “before March 13, 2020” to say “before the supplementary estimates are deemed reported back to the House”.

Mr. Bagnell.

4:35 p.m.

Liberal

Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT

Could the clerk tell us if there's a substantive difference in the result of those two?

4:35 p.m.

The Clerk

The only procedural variance would be that the first version has an actual deadline, whereas the second version is a moving target. It could change. It would not necessarily be the same date.

4:35 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB

It could actually move forward. It won't move back, but it could move forward.

4:35 p.m.

The Clerk

When the House returns after the next break, if the government decided to designate, starting on the Monday, every day a supply day, then the last supply day would occur that week and the supplementary estimates would be deemed reported back three days before that. It's three days before the last supply day is designated.

4:35 p.m.

Liberal

Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON

I withdraw my amendment.

4:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon

We need unanimous consent to withdraw.

(Amendment withdrawn)

Mr. Bagnell.

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT

I'd like to propose another amendment. I move that the minister appear for not less than one hour.

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon

Mrs. Gallant.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

I'd like to make an amendment to that amendment by replacing “an hour” with “two hours”.

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon

The amendment is that “no less than one hour, and that the meeting be televised.”

(Amendment negatived)

The question is on the main motion.

(Motion agreed to)

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

I would just like to mention that the scenario Mr. Bagnell was trying to put forth, where the minister is there for one hour, is why the proposal had been made that every member have a chance to speak, because maybe in two hours every member may get a chance to ask a question, but when it's only one hour that you have the minister there, it is very difficult for every person to have a chance to ask a question.

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon

Thank you, Madam Gallant.

Now we have our subcommittee on agenda and procedures.

I would like to suggest that the members of that subcommittee meet this Wednesday at our regularly scheduled time, and we will deal with the issues that have been referred to the subcommittee by the committee.

Is there any discussion on that?

Yes, Mr. Garrison.

4:40 p.m.

NDP

Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

After we conclude this vote, I have a couple of notices of motion that I would like to present to the committee so that the subcommittee could deal with them on Wednesday.

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon

All in favour of the subcommittee meeting at our next regular meeting on Wednesday?

(Motion agreed to)

Are there any further notices of motion?

Yes, Mr. Garrison.

4:40 p.m.

NDP

Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

I have two notices of motion that I have available in both official languages. It's not my intention to talk at any length about these.

One is that the standing committee invite Canada's ambassador for Women, Peace and Security to appear before the committee at the earliest opportunity.

The second invites the committee to undertake a study on mental health and self-harm within the Canadian military, including my private member's bill.

I'll just ask that those be distributed for consideration by the subcommittee.

4:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon

Thank you very much, Mr. Garrison.

Madam Gallant.

4:40 p.m.

Conservative

Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

I move:

That the Minister of National Defence appear at the Committee for no fewer than two hours to provide Members with a briefing on Operation IMPACT and the Canadian-led NATO capacity building and support mission in Iraq, and that the meeting be televised.

I have copies in English and French.

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon

There are a couple of different ways of dealing with the notice of motion put forward by Madam Gallant. We could ask the subcommittee to deal with this, like we're doing with Mr. Garrison's motions, or we could have a discussion at the present time.

Madam Gallant.

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

Right now we do have the time. Historically, what happens is, during the subcommittee, you discuss it, but then ultimately everything has to come back to this committee anyhow, so it's better just to deal with it while we have the time.

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Karen McCrimmon

Yes, Mr. Spengemann.