Natural Resources Committee on March 26th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Ladies and gentlemen, we'll begin the 40th meeting of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources. A couple of members have not arrived yet but apparently will be along shortly. One of them has been detained in the House.

We can start with the business at hand. I should report, for those of you who didn't hear, that we tabled moments ago the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, The Oil Sands: Towards Sustainable Development. I guess we have a copy to be distributed to all the members, do we? That's great: bedtime reading.

Now we'll proceed with orders of the day. The first one is the question of privilege from the last meeting. I thought, just for the benefit of members, I might ask the clerk to explain the proceedings and how this all works.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Chad Mariage]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The tricky thing with what we're doing today is that the document you have in front of you, the fifth report, on the question of privilege, is considered a confidential document. That's why it was distributed to members only.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Yes, we don't want it leaked.

[The Clerk]

But the discussion will be taking place in public. So the actual document is embargoed, but the discussion is going to take place in public. That's the only caveat I wanted to let everyone know.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Okay. And the procedure is just to adopt the report?

[The Clerk]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Can I get a motion for that?

[The Clerk]

Yes. The motion is simply....

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Apparently, the procedure is the same as it was for our last report. That is, we need to have an adoption of this draft report moved by someone. The motion is that the draft report on the question of privilege, as amended, be adopted as the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources. Do I have a mover for such a motion?

[Alan Tonks, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

I so move.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Mr. Tonks moves, seconded by Mr. Trost, that the draft report on the question of privilege, as amended, be adopted as the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

The next motion, then, is regarding grammatical and editorial changes: that the chair and clerk be authorized to make such grammatical and editorial changes as may be necessary, without changing the substance of the report.

I'm not sure that's necessary in this case, because there aren't going to be any changes, but we'll pass the motion for technical reasons.

May I have a mover of that motion?

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

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Madame DeBellefeuille moves that motion. Ms. Bell will second the motion.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Finally, I have a motion to order presentation of the report to the House: that the chair present the report to the House.

[Alan Tonks, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

I so move.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

It is moved by Mr. Tonks, and seconded by Ms. Bell again, that the chair present the report to the House.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Moving on....

We may want to discuss this at some later point, but apparently we're going now to committee business to discuss the planning of future business. That too is apparently something that's done in camera, so we're now moving in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]