Transport Committee on June 3rd, 2008

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Yes, he is.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

We'll go to Mr. Masse.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Hence we have the problems with this bill, Bill C-11, with regard to protecting consumers. They have been well flagged. We've heard the parliamentary secretary on the status. The status is as simple as this: they're going to meet again informally. “Informally” is the key word here. I don't know the extent of where that work goes. The substance of the motion is really in the word “extent”.

We have the minister coming before committee for estimates, so I guess these questions can be asked of the minister then. But we have to decide whether we're going to pass this motion or not. Unfortunately, there probably won't be time before the minister comes to committee and prior to the break for the summer. I know that the real substance of this is very weak in the sense that we really can't compel, unless we want to stay for a special session. We can do that. We can have that as an option. But we're going to have to find another window of opportunity if we sincerely want to have the minister here on this particular file before the summer break. So we need to hash that out and decide.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Go ahead, Mr. Volpe.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Masse is right to point out that the minister is coming here, as we've heard. I guess it is next week. He's coming here for the estimates.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Just a second.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

As an interim measure, and I'm sure Mr. Masse would agree, I will accept a written statement from the minister giving us an indication of the extent of the consultations. But I want them to focus on the jurisdictions rather than on the airline industry. I accept that the airline industry's consultation is going to be ended by the end of August, but I'm interested in knowing where we are with the provinces.

Also, if the minister has already agreed to come and appear before this committee on the estimates, then I'm going to address those issues then. I'm not necessarily putting the minister on notice. But we're not going to be able to get him here, under this motion, before the House recesses.

I'd like to have that response in writing by next Tuesday. Is he going to have it by Tuesday?

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

I can't even get a letter typed by Tuesday, but I'll ask.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

I'll have my staff work on that.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Maybe they could type it up, and he can sign it.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Just give us the substance, and then you can sign it.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Thank you, I appreciate that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Just so I understand, then, we're going to ask the minister to give us an update in writing by Tuesday--

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Is it the will of the committee?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

--and we'll sit on this motion for that time.

Mr. Volpe, do you agree with that?

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

We're in agreement.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Does everyone agree with that, then? Okay.

I want you to know, for Thursday's business--and I won't single people out--that we have only one presentation from a political party with regard to navigable waters. If you have any suggestions or amendments or changes to what we've been discussing, we need that in writing to the clerk. I would really hope it would be by the end of today, if possible, so we have something to discuss on Thursday.

Mr. Masse.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

I have a suggestion. Perhaps as the researchers are pulling this together, in terms of the presentation style, it would be helpful to have a tool that would display a change or an amendment and how each department would be altered by it, whether it is process or whether they suggest how they would be able to reduce staff time. It would be something that would really flesh out how each change might alter each different department.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I would certainly ask John to do that. I think it's going to be very difficult to qualify what the implications would be. I'm not sure they would comment on a hypothetical. All we're going to do is make a recommendation to them.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

For something like minor works, could we not have something like that analyzed in terms of each department and what they think might change with that definition? Is that too difficult?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I certainly could ask them. I don't know if we could have that by Thursday.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

That's fine.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

So on Thursday, come prepared to discuss the amendments you've submitted to Maxime and me, and we'll have an open and fulsome discussion.

Thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.