Official Languages Committee on Dec. 13th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Welcome to the 20^th meeting of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. Today is Tuesday, December 13, 2011. Our meeting is being televised. The first thing we are going to do is deal with committee business so we can adopt the committee budget for witnesses.

Mr. Lauzon.

[Guy Lauzon, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

I would like to move a motion. I think we need to include money in our budget for the witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

You have the floor.

[Guy Lauzon, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

I don't think the amount is adequate to continue our study. Perhaps the clerks know the amounts we need. I am moving the following motion:

That, as part of the study on the evaluation of the Roadmap: improving programs and service delivery, a budget of $36,700 be adopted.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Actually, it's $36,900.

Mr. Godin.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Is the amount $36,700?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

No, it is $36,900.

[An hon. member]

Perhaps the clerk could clarify things: there are two different amounts.

[Bernard Trottier, Conservative, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

The total amount requested is $36,900.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I have a second question, Mr. Chair. Is it for future business or is it for work we have already done?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

It's for work we've already done.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

You're saying that this was not in the budget, meaning that the witnesses haven't been paid yet?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Exactly.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I'd like to say, Mr. Chair, and I want this to be on record, that it isn't good for the witnesses not to be paid. In the future, we should have a budget in advance to make sure the witnesses will be paid.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

We have already paid the witnesses.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Some have not been paid.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

This isn't the same budget, but another operational budget.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I have another question, Mr. Chair.

The representatives from the Conseil Scolaire fransaskois were already here. We could have had them here during a free meeting, we asked them to come, but we cancelled that. Were they paid?

[An hon. member]

We could ask them.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

They didn't ask to be paid because they were also there for something else.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I don't know if Mr. Bélanger can speak for them, but we could ask them the question, since they are here now. I would like to know if they were paid. I think we should compensate them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

We did not pay the witnesses.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

They weren't paid at all.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

You're right. This is our first budget. We haven't adopted a budget for this study. So we need to adopt this budget to pay the witnesses who are here to testify.

Are there any other questions?