Natural Resources Committee on Oct. 17th, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Thank you to those of you who are here on time. I appreciate your punctuality. We will begin.

First I should explain that the agenda today has been somewhat modified since our last meeting. We were going to hear today from officials of the Department of Natural Resources. Unfortunately the key witness we wanted is unable to attend today due to a medical situation, so they are going to appear on Thursday of this week. That leaves us, then, the committee business of our budget to travel to Fort McMurray, the committee budget, and notices of motion from Mr. Cullen.

I'd like to begin with a discussion of the budget to travel to Fort McMurray. I think it's been circulated to all of you, and maybe I'll just let the clerk explain that a little more.

[The Clerk of the Committee]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The budget, as broken down in the back of the document, has been done based on formulas that are essentially management-approved numbers. You obviously budget more than you'll actually need for the trip. For instance, the ticketing fee is a standard $1,000. We may use the full amount; we may not use the full amount. Another example is the amount for the charter flight. The committee had to budget the price for the entire charter flight, because we have to pay for all the seats that won't be used, but the committee will get back each member's points. Essentially we will redeem that from Members' Travel Services, and so that number will go down significantly once we make the claim to Members' Travel.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Yes, Mr. Cullen.

[Roy Cullen, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Yes, thank you.

I just had a couple of questions. The first one is particularly dumb, but it says here after ”Commercial”--on the back of the page--$2,820 times three persons. But I thought the whole committee or most of the committee was going, and we said 11 people, so where do you get this $2,820 times three?

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

That would be the clerk, the researcher, and a translator.

[Roy Cullen, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

What about the members of Parliament?

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

They will be covered by travel points. We agreed to that at a previous meeting.

[Roy Cullen, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

We'll use travel points.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Yes. We're asking each member to use a special for this trip, which will include a trip from wherever they are to Calgary and back to Ottawa and the charter. I think it's about $400 that will be charged to your travel expense, not out of the MOB but as points.

[Roy Cullen, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

The charter is presumably to go from Calgary to Fort McMurray and back. Will there be an opportunity to take a helicopter around Fort McMurray?

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

We're currently looking at buses. If it's the wish of the committee, we can have a look at that possibility, but it gets pretty expensive with 14 people.

[Roy Cullen, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

It's just a way to get the full scope of the operation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

I appreciate what you're saying. It's a big place to see. My only concern at this point is the shortage of time, in terms of our committee's approving the budget and then my taking it to the Board of Internal Economy to have it approved. I think we could probably wait until Thursday.

[The Clerk]

The Liaison Committee meets on Thursday at one o'clock, so that's when we would be appearing.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Just for clarification then, we have to approve this or a facsimile thereof at this committee, and then I have to take it to the Liaison Committee to be approved. I was going to suggest that we look into the possibility of a helicopter to see what that would cost, but my sense is that it's going to be pretty prohibitive.

[The Clerk]

If you like, I can place a call to our logistics person and have her send us numbers while we're in committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Yes, let's try it today.

Go ahead. I think Ms. Bell was next.

[Catherine Bell, NDP, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Thank you. For the accommodation and flights and those things, it says 14 persons, and I'm wondering if Mr. Bevington is included in those numbers.

[The Clerk]

No, he wouldn't be. The committee will pay for the committee members, Mr. Chair, and I've informed Mr. Bevington's assistant that we will make the arrangements, in terms of making sure there is a room available for him, but he would incur the costs of that, unless the committee decides otherwise.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Madame deBellefeuille.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

There are 12 of us at the table, but I see that only 11 members will be travelling to Fort McMurray. Who is not coming?

[The Clerk]

Mr. Chairman, I think this point was raised at the last committee meeting, and the Conservative Party commented on it. I do not know whether I can give you any details on this.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

I wrote a letter to the chairman to tell him that we wanted to maintain the representation of the parties in the House. The principle is that either everyone goes, or that there are three conservatives, three liberals and one member from the Bloc and the NDP.

I believe you received this letter, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Yes, I think we discussed it at the last meeting.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Perhaps you missed part of the interpretation, so I will repeat what I said. I sent you a letter explaining that the Bloc Québécois would be taking part in the trip to Fort McMurray if the representation of the parties in the House were respected.

I want to understand why we were talking about 11 members of Parliament, when there are 12 of us at this table. If things do not go as planned, I would like us to review the matter of proportionality. I think the Bloc's message on this was quite clear. I do not know whether or not my colleagues agree.