Status of Women Committee on Dec. 12th, 2006

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

We're talking about having one meeting. We'll have a couple of witnesses pertaining to this whole issue of the benefit of a national rapporteur, and Ms. Guergis has a motion here asking that a specific witness also come. So it would be very limited to those, and then we'll move on with our report.

We don't need to do any more studying. We just want to clear up this issue.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Can we agree to table the report, at the latest, on the second week of February? I hope that this will not take us as far as the end of February.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I hope so. I don't think any of us want to lose time. If we have to have some extra meetings, we're just going to have to do it in order to move it forward.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

I suggest that we work until midnight to finish it. I suggest that we do an evening meeting when we come back, whenever, and work as long as we have to.

I've been involved, Madam Chair, with hearings for finance where we go from 9 in the morning until 10 at night. We don't have to stick to a plan. I think when we come back, we should work and finish it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Can I make a suggestion that Monday, and maybe the Tuesday, if we have to book two meetings...? But then it doesn't work for a lot of the other members.

Let's see whether we can find extra time to get this thing wrapped up the first week we come back and agree that we don't go home until we finish it that week.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

On a lighter note, we have to make sure we have something other than sandwiches for dinner.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Have you got that? We want healthy stuff.

We need to adopt Mr. Stanton's amendment.

(Amendment agreed to)

(Motion as amended agreed to)

Whose motion is the next one?

Ms. Mathyssen, would you read this into the record, please?

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair.

It is “That the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women invite the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women to appear before the committee to clarify the 2007-2008 budget of Status of Women Canada.”

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Is there any discussion on this?

I see Ms. Guergis' hand up first, and then Mrs. Smith, and then Ms. Mourani.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Madam Chair, I have a point of order. Mrs. Mathyssen's motion and mine are exactly the same.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Yes, but mine hasn't been dealt with, and we didn't finish mine.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

When we had Ms. Guergis' motion—which technically wasn't in order, because we didn't have 48 hours—I referred to that motion as covering the same time that we're going to have some people come in on the national rapporteur issue. I put both of them at the same time, because there's the same intent. I don't think anybody was objecting to that.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

No, but we should clear it up and ask whether everybody is in support of hearing from Linda Smith. At least we should do that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I have to deal with the ones I have in line here, before I get to yours.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

I have comments on Ms. Mathyssen's—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Okay. So I'm back to Ms. Mathyssen's, and it is five minutes to one.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

I'll be quick.

I just want to point out that on November 21 Minister Bev Oda actually e-mailed the clerk and provided three proposed dates when she wanted to come before the committee. I'm not sure why we didn't hear about that here, but the date was the end of November, and she said either mid-December...and she requested the date of February 1.

I don't know whether we really need to discuss those motions, because she actually did offer to come. She hasn't heard anything, so she was a little bit concerned as to why she didn't hear a response to her e-mail on November 21 to follow up calls.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

She indicated she could come November 28?

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

We weren't sitting.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

But she also gave three dates in that e-mail. She gave mid-December, and she also gave February 1. So we can discuss the date of February 1.

I'm not sure why those dates weren't given to us, but perhaps we can clarify that with the clerk.

I would think that because this was sent to the committee long before the motions were put on the table, we should discuss the date of February 1, since that's the only one of the three days that is left. I think that's only fair. Why are we asking her to come when she has already offered to come? Let's try to agree on some things here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

It's just that I have not seen that communication.

The question is, the members are asking her to come. February 1 is the first that she would be able to come, if she is offering to come February 1.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

That's right. So you say yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

So we will respond and say, yes, please come February 1.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

So the motions aren't required.