Natural Resources Committee on April 1st, 2008

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

The notice of motion was introduced on February 29 and we talked about it in mid-March. At that time I think I said the minister could implement a round table at any time, he didn't need us, and a motion had already passed at the finance committee, which my colleague supported. I also said I'd be inclined to support it because it was one of the recommendations from some people over the course of the hearings. It wasn't the overwhelming recommendation I heard, but it was one.

I have some concerns about the way this motion is written. I have a question for Mr. Trost. I would like to know if he has brought this motion to the attention of the natural resources minister. I'm sure he pays attention to what goes on here at the committee. Does he have the mechanism in place to get this up and running tomorrow? If not, does it matter if we wait a couple more days before making this recommendation part of the report?

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We have about three or four minutes. There is a committee scheduled here for one o'clock. We either have to go to a vote on this--and we have several other speakers--or continue it at the next meeting on Thursday.

We have five people on the list. We clearly can't get to everyone before the end of this meeting, so I will end the meeting when our time is up in about three minutes.

Go ahead, Mr. St. Amand.

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

I've come to have some confidence in Mr. Trost's instincts, particularly his first instincts, and I invite him to return to his rational, typically cerebral self and table the motion until Thursday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Madame DeBellefeuille.

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

Mr. Chairman, I was touched by Mr. Comuzzi's remarks. I felt that if we were to oppose this motion, it would be as if we weren't interested in the issue, in the dramatic situation facing the forestry sector.

Perhaps I am mistaken and my impression is wrong. However, I want to remind you that the Bloc Québécois and the opposition parties in the House of Commons proposed some very concrete solutions to the government on how to quickly come to the assistance of the forestry sector. There are a great many suggestions and recommendations on the desks of the Prime Minister and the minister.

I understand his interest in a round table. In Quebec, there was a round table and the Forestry Summit. The Quebec ministre des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune tabled a green paper on the issue. The difficulties facing the forestry sector are of great interest to the Bloc Québécois. I think that is a good recommendation and that it can be part of the report.

We should avoid getting into the habit of short-circuiting reports by tabling motions that can easily be added into a report as recommendations that we can debate. If Mr. Trost is patient, in a few days, we could add it to the report and reach an agreement on it quite quickly.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you.

Mr. Boshcoff, go ahead please.

[Ken Boshcoff, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

I thank you for that, Mr. Chair.

If it's necessary that it continue, I propose an amendment that the standing committee report to Parliament include a priority recommendation that the Prime Minister convene a national summit on the forest industry crisis. That way we know it will be in the report, all parties will have been considered, and it will be amended at the highest levels.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Mr. Boshcoff, I just have to have a look at that in writing, if I could.

I would like to hear the motion again. It seems to me that it's more than an amendment, that it in fact would be a new motion, so I do need to see that in writing before I can rule on that.

[Ken Boshcoff, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

I will do that, Mr. Chair. And with all respect, there seems to be consensus that the standing committee report should include a recommendation for either a round-table discussion or a national summit. Who convenes it, whether it is the minister or the Prime Minister, seems to be up for debate here today. It was always the impression of many of us that this would be a high-level summit convened by the Prime Minister. I will write that out for you to confirm that it's in the record.

My understanding is that we get the draft tomorrow.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

You should get the draft report probably Thursday morning.

[Ken Boshcoff, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

It will be Thursday morning?

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

It might be Wednesday night or Thursday morning, because it has to be translated as well, and that slows it down a bit.

[Ken Boshcoff, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

So if it's only a matter of hours before we get this, then I will withhold my amendment until the draft report, and amend the draft report at that time, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

On Thursday we will still, though, have to start with this motion. We will continue with that.

Our time is up here for today, so we'll leave it at that. On Thursday we will continue this, and we will have a draft report and hopefully we'll decide on Thursday how to deal with that.

The meeting is adjourned.