Evidence of meeting #15 for Natural Resources in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was report.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Johanne Gélinas  Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Richard Arseneault  Principal, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Neil Maxwell  Principal, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
David McBain  Director, Office of the Auditor General of Canada

5:25 p.m.

Bloc

Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC

Mr. Chairman, I would like a clarification.

The Tuesday following the Parliamentary recess, we will be looking at a motion that was tabled today. Will we also be hearing from witnesses to talk about the tar sands project and look at a proposal to follow up on the Commissioner's report? Will we be doing all of that in the same day? Is that what I am to understand?

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Alan Tonks

No. We are having deputations a week Tuesday on our oil sands framework, as was agreed upon through committee at the last meeting. That is going ahead. And we will have the consideration of the motions. Those are separate.

What I'm suggesting is that possibly a week from Tuesday, or even Monday—we'll have to see—the research staff will have had an opportunity to look at Madam Commissioner's report and to make suggestions to an informal committee, which I'm suggesting be the two vice-chairs and the chair, to review what the researchers are looking at in terms of follow-up and present it back to the committee.

It will be an action plan, if you will, of Madam Commissioner's comments. There may be things that are missed by research; you can bring that up. My feeling is that there are some obvious things, but I'm suggesting on behalf of the committee that we don't get into a discussion of it but give research an opportunity to digest and then present some follow-up actions to us. It's up to the committee to decide whether they wish to follow those actions or suggest some others.

We've heard this now; let's digest it. We have a week. We also have our agenda for a week in advance and we have the notices of motion. We have all kinds of work, but I think we also want to lay out our future initiatives in terms of closing the accountability loop with the commissioner's report.

Mr. Cullen.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Roy Cullen Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

With respect to the oil sands study, a number of lists were sent to you in terms of potential witnesses. Has that program been put in place, or will the committee have a final look at which witnesses we plan to summon?

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Alan Tonks

I'm going to have to ask the clerk if he would like to respond to that.

5:25 p.m.

The Clerk of the Committee

The lists have been submitted to me. I have contacted the department to appear that week, as per the committee's recommendation.

We have scheduled someone else for that week, but on that, I will be circulating a calendar, much as I did this spring, and the committee will be able to contact me and the chairman in the meantime to recommend that someone be added or taken away. There will be a calendar circulated.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Roy Cullen Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

So there will be a calendar we can look at.

5:25 p.m.

The Clerk

Yes, absolutely. I'm working on organizing the puzzle right now.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Alan Tonks

All right.

Since it is 5:30 and there is no more business before the chair, we're adjourned.