Natural Resources Committee on April 21st, 2009

[Dr. Alan Meier]

The reason I'm reluctant is the people who actually conceived the low carbon fuel standard work about five metres away from where I'm sitting. If I could scurry away and talk to them, I might be able to answer your question, but I don't think they're in today, so I'll avoid answering.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you very much to both of you, Mr. Foster and Mr. Meier, for being here by video conference with us. We do appreciate very much the information you've given us, and we're looking forward, Mr. Foster, to the information you'll be sending us.

We will continue with the meeting very briefly. We only have about five minutes left.

I just want to run this by the committee to see if it seems to make sense. On Thursday morning, we have the meeting by video conference. Can we take the last half hour or so of that meeting to deal with future business?

In the meantime, can we set up for Tuesday of next week? We should be setting something up. Can we set up where we would start by dealing with Bill S-3, which is the bill that's been sent to this committee from the Senate? Then, if we need more discussion on future business in the last part of that meeting, we could discuss future business again, possibly the draft report that we hope will be available by the fifth.

Next Thursday, if we can plan something to change it, that is strictly up to you. We could fall back on Bill S-3 for next Thursday, but we would start on Tuesday with the officials on Bill S-3, which is the traditional way of starting with reviewing legislation.

That is my thought. I'd appreciate your input so we know where to go.

Mr. Cullen.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thanks, Chair.

Just very briefly, then, if you're looking to go for Thursday for other witnesses outside of officials, then you'll be needing to hear from our offices almost right away.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Absolutely. That would be helpful.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I know I wasn't here for the earlier part of the meeting, but I want to just express some concern about the process of how the minister arrives on Thursday. It seems to me that the committee has to be involved in some of those decisions in terms of the timing and such, because there are all sorts of parts that are moving around. I recognize that a vote was taken and such, but it's a bit worrisome. That's a relatively important meeting, and to have it scheduled and then have to go about it backwards, as opposed to planning it out and having some sort of awareness of what we're going to be asking, and cramming the estimates, to my understanding, with the nuclear safety piece into one hour is--

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Mr. Cullen, we did have a little bit of discussion of this earlier. I think you'll find, if you review the information from previous meetings--the Hansard or the minutes in the case of an in camera meeting--that is what this committee decided: to have the minister as soon as possible. This was the earliest possible date. I believe I was actually given instructions--and if I'm wrong I will apologize, but we'll get that information--to arrange that and just make it happen as soon as the minister gave an indication that she was available. So I really hope I'm operating the way I was instructed by the committee.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I wasn't looking to cast aspersions. In particular, I didn't remember the idea of combining those two issues into one meeting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

That was decided too. I'll discuss it with the clerk.

The question of the amount of time I understand. That wasn't decided. That's what the minister can provide. She's been before this committee, I think, twice already. Was it just once? That I can't comment on.

We'll get that background information, and I'll have the clerk send it out so you can see what was determined. As chair, I fully understand. I work on behalf of all members of the committee, and I sincerely try to do that.

Madame Brunelle.

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Speaking of the minister's visit, I'm unhappy about two things—not about the minister coming, of course—but first, because only one hour has been set aside for this meeting. That's too little time, in my opinion, to discuss important issues.

Secondly, I'm unhappy that we're being forced...I understand why we have to change the time of the meeting, but since I was scheduled to deliver a speech in the House at that time, it's problem for me. However, to add a third hour of committee meeting on the same day, without consulting with members, I find that a bit much to take.

Obviously, our workload is such that arranging our schedules can be a problem. Some appointments had already been scheduled. It's hard for me to understand why the minister cannot stay for a least two hours. We've been waiting for weeks and surely arrangements could have been made to meet with us at a convenient time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

I can't speak to that.

Mr. Anderson I think had indicated, and then Mr. Regan

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Typically ministers come for one hour, whether there's a meeting for one hour or two hours. I don't think I've been at a meeting in the last few years that a minister has attended--whether it's been the agriculture minister or the natural resources minister, or the ministers of the previous government--for more than an hour at a time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

That certainly has become, over the last five years or so, kind of standard, I think.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chairman, it certainly wasn't my experience. I remember going for two hours as a minister before the fisheries and oceans committee, and I can only presume that it happened elsewhere as well.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

It certainly did before, but....

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

At any rate, we passed a motion to have the minister here to talk about AECL. It's also important to have her here on the estimates. But to have only one hour in which to do both I think is a bit of a stretch.

Mr. Chairman, I know that you are desirous of acting in a non-partisan fashion in your chairmanship role, and I would urge that you keep that in mind, but I think we can see here that the majority of the committee does not feel that Thursday is the day we want to hear from the minister. Therefore, I move that we cancel Thursday afternoon's meeting, and ask the minister to come in the month of May.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Mr. Regan, first of all, I don't know whether the minister would be able to come in May. You have to understand that. We have dealt with this issue already through a motion. I will not come back to the same motion again, certainly not at the same meeting.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

The motion wasn't quite the same. This motion is to ask the minister to come in the month of May. It's not telling her to come. It's not determining what her answer is ahead of time. It is asking her to come in May, not on Thursday, which would require cancelling a meeting. It isn't the same motion. Moreover, at the time, members were not all here, and the member from the NDP who was here was not checked into the meeting. I didn't realize that at the time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We have a point of order.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Clearly, this was done—

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We have a point of order.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chairman, we're on a point of order, I think.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Mr. Regan, I will go back to you.

Mr. Anderson.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

The point of order was that everyone had the opportunity to be here. We are past the beginning point of the meeting, so it cannot be sustained.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We have to end the meeting.

Mr. Regan.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

The point is that this was done in an arbitrary fashion. The chairman acted without consulting any of the members on the opposition side about having the minister here on Thursday. It's clear now that the majority of the committee does not want this to proceed, and you're ignoring the will of the committee.