Evidence of meeting #1 for Public Safety and National Security in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was meeting.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Louise Hayes

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

Okay, is there any further comment? Does somebody want to make a motion that we meet with them in an informal manner? Is that part of your--

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON

During the meeting.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

How long a time do we want to give them? Do you want to suggest an hour?

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON

An hour seems a bit more than appropriate.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

Okay. If it takes less time, that's fine.

I've just been told that an hour may be cutting it a bit short, because the interpretation has to go from Czech to French to English.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON

How would it be if the motion were at the pleasure of the chair? You know what this body intends in an hour. Then take into account the translation problem.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

Okay, if we find out that after one hour we....

Yes.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Mr. Chairman, my concern is that they are coming, I assume, to learn from us about certain matters, and we have yet to learn about these matters ourselves. I just wouldn't want it to be a meeting from which they would come away and say they knew more about this than we did. Some of the subject matters you mentioned are correctly ones on which we ought to share our appreciation of those subjects with them, but we may not yet have that understanding.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

Sir, can I be assured that you will be here?

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC

I will be here.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

You will be here. It will facilitate the meeting greatly if I can have your assurance that you will be here.

Let's commit to an hour. Is that okay? And if at the end of an hour we see we need another half an hour, can we just allow for that flexibility? Is that okay? From 3:30 to 4:30 or, if need be, until 5 o'clock: allow that time on your schedule.

Mr. MacKenzie.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON

The other thing we will do then is deal with item 6.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

Yes, we'll have to do that. When will we do that? That's your question?

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON

I'm thinking we should do it on Wednesday.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

On Wednesday, after our meeting with the people from the Czech Republic? Okay, if they've received the written proposal tomorrow.

Mr. Roy.

4:10 p.m.

Bloc

Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

Mr. Chairman, did you not suggest that the subcommittee meet and study the motion before submitting it to the committee? Will the subcommittee meet between today and Wednesday to study the motion that will be presented? If I am not mistaken, this is the motion that was adopted: that Mr. Ménard's request be submitted to the subcommittee, that the subcommittee examine the options and submit this request to the committee after having discussed them.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

We don't have a subcommittee struck. I just gave that as a suggestion. Do we have to have it go to the subcommittee when it's going to come back here anyway?

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON

My thought is that Monsieur Ménard will bring it back, I'll give you this list, and we can deal with it right here.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

I think another meeting would almost be a waste of time, because it will have to be discussed at the big meeting here anyway. Is it all right with you if we simply bring it to the main committee? I think it would be a waste of time otherwise. Okay.

Are there any other issues? Mr. Ménard, did you have something?

4:10 p.m.

Bloc

Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

I attend to draft my motion immediately, and we can discuss it. I understand English, but I don't write it well. So I will draft it in French.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

Mr. Comartin.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON

Can I just get the names of the full members of this committee? I know there are people substituting today. I know Ms. Freeman is the other Bloc member. Susan Kadis is the name I have for the Liberals. I wasn't clear if Ms. Sgro was a permanent member.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

No.

Mr. Comartin, we can give you a copy. Mr. Raymond Chan is on the committee, Mr. Irwin Cotler, Ms. Susan Kadis, Ms. Tina Keeper, Ms. Carole Freeman, Monsieur Serge Ménard, you; and on this side the people present are those who are on the committee.

4:10 p.m.

NDP

Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON

Except for Mr. Brown.

4:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz

Pardon me.