Evidence of meeting #19 for Natural Resources in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was report.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Fréderic Beauregard-Tellier Committee Researcher
We can do whatever you want us to do, but it's definitely more difficult to write two reports concurrently. Ideally you would tell us to do one and then do the other. But we'll do what we can.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
I appreciate that, but my question to you is, if we do forestry first and then we do CNSC, when do you think forestry will be given to us at least as a draft, and then after that, how much longer will you need?
Jean-Luc Bourdages Committee Researcher
We have one week next week for meetings and then we have a two-week break, so we're aiming to have a draft report after the Easter break.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
And how long will it take you after that to do the CNSC report?
Committee Researcher
As you said, the CNSC report will likely be very different. It's a very sensitive issue. I don't think we would come up with recommendations, in this case. We would probably let you come up with your own recommendations. I don't see how we can suggest any recommendations.
So we would probably work from what you have on the other findings and the timelines and these kinds of things and try to reconcile what we heard. And even this is very sensitive too. We heard some contradictions at certain points.
So that's basically--
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
I understand the complexity, so I'm just curious about how long you think it will take you. Let's say after the break, how long will it take you for that complex report?
Committee Researcher
It really depends on how we go. And you need to understand that once we do a.... Let's say we take a week to write the report, which is fairly difficult, because we have meetings, and we have briefing notes to prepare. And then we need about a week to have it translated.
So we can hardly make a report in less than two weeks.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Chad Mariage
If I may, Mr. Chair, you're looking at least at mid-April if not longer, I would say, which is a generous estimate, depending on how long the consideration of the draft report for forestry takes, how many drafts the committee needs, and if there are substantive changes to that report. It's all very circumstantial in terms of the process.
Committee Researcher
If you're willing to accept shorter very concise reports, we could certainly do our best to write concurrently. But both reports will suffer. It really depends on what you want.
There is only so much we can do in a certain amount of time.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
We still have a list of people who want to speak to this, and I know we all have appointments to go to. Can we come back at the next meeting and deal with this, or can we agree quickly to something here?
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
If it is agreed that we could do concise reports, both reports, during the break, I'm okay with that.
Conservative
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I think then they need to understand, as has been told, that if we do that, both reports are going to be much less than they will be if they have time to do a proper forestry report and then move to CNSC. So people can't complain about the work that's done when these guys are working overtime when we're gone.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
We have a list, Monsieur Ouellet.
I'm struggling as to how to handle this. We could go on for some time here yet. You've heard the--
Liberal
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Put it this way: we won't vote on the motion.
Bloc
Christian Ouellet Bloc Brome—Missisquoi, QC
We could agree to complete the forestry report by April 12. Then we could move to the other one. My colleague does not want to postpone this until next summer, and he is right. We must get it done. I think everyone would find this solution acceptable.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Is finishing with the forestry by April 12 reasonable, assuming the committee can deal with it fairly expeditiously? I think we should be able to. I really sense that we will be able to. Is that realistic?
Okay, can we agree to that? And then we'll go directly then to the....
Okay, we have reached agreement on that then. Thank you very much for your cooperation. It's much appreciated.
The meeting is adjourned.