Mr. Chairman, we're at a really important part of this committee's deliberations. The deliberation is now with respect to a draft report, and at no time was I made aware that this oil sands expert group existed. We had lots of experts before the committee, and we had an opportunity to engage them with respect to what was germane to the very important issues that were emerging from the development, both the rate of development and the nature of the pollution issues, the greenhouse gas issues, the development issues, the social issues. We had a really excellent opportunity.
My concern at this time—and I appreciate the spirit within which the motion is put forward—is we now have an expert group that apparently has a report that doesn't appear to be sanctioned by the government at this point. It has received a lot of media attention.
What I would suggest, Mr. Chairman, is that we table this motion. None of us have seen the draft report. We don't know whether there is any relevance to this expert group. It isn't a paper of the previous government, nor is it of this government, as I am aware. It is something that is floated out there. Why don't we table this motion, pending the discussion of the report, and if issues emerge from the discussion of the draft report, then we will revisit this motion and invite whoever was the author of the report on behalf of this energy resource group that are experts.
At this time, I question very seriously whether we should delay in order to have the ministers, both past and present, deputy ministers, without having had the opportunity to read the draft report and to make a decision whether the fivefold increase that was thrown out there is germane to the discussion we're going to be involved in, or whether it is even germane to whether there is a denouement that is going to be requested that we make recommendations that would scale down the development of the oil sands.
I guess what I'm saying to the committee is why would we not take the draft report--at this point we want to deal with it as expeditiously as possible--and make a decision as we are proceeding over the next two or three meetings whether it would be advantageous and helpful to have people in to talk about a report that may or may not be driving an acceleration of the oil sands when the committee itself hasn't arrived at whether that is a recommendation they would support.
So I think it is premature. I'm not trying to evade the substance and ignore the spirit, but I would just suggest that it is premature. If it is relevant, we'll be able to make a more accurate decision as we go along on whether we want the minister in--indeed, whether we want the ministers, past and present, to be in for any future questions, never mind just on the issue of this expert panel of sorts, this oil sands experts group.
My motion would be that we table the motion we have before us, that we engage the draft report, and at some point we revisit whether we wish to have these people come to answer questions, because it may be that this report isn't as relevant as we think it is at this point.