Transport Committee on Nov. 1st, 2012

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Well, unless the committee is directing me that you don't want a meeting, but I—

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

No, no.

Do we not need to adopt this finance committee motion here?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I don't think it's a finance committee motion. They're advising us that if we would like to comment on or suggest any amendments to the clauses laid out in there, we can get back to them. I think we'd be shirking our duty as a committee if we didn't report back to them.

You don't have to meet next Tuesday, but I would advise against not doing so.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

That's for sure.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Go ahead, Mr. Watson.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

The letter refers to an adopted motion. I don't actually see the adopted motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

The adopted motion was passed by the finance committee.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Right.

I don't know the content of it. Are they referring these specific clauses to us for study?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I presumed that everybody got it. In the motion that I saw, our committee was not the only committee that was in it. There's a list of 8 or 10 different committees, with different clause numbers. Of course, we're only dealing with the part that came to us.

Do you need to see the whole motion before...?

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

No, that's fine.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

So it's clear: we're going to be meeting Tuesday on this, and we'll go from there. We don't have to come back to that.

Now it's back to the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure. Does everybody have copy?

Go ahead, Ms. Chow.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

I believe Mr. Poilievre had a motion studying infrastructure, and I would make an amendment. Allow me to read it to you.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Yes?

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Do we need to move the adoption of the subcommittee's report first, and then discuss the amendment—

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Isn't this already in front of us?

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

—or are we already deeming it adopted?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I think it's going to lead to that, Jeff.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Oh, okay.

It just seems weird to discuss an amendment before we even move to discuss the report.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chairman, I move the adoption of the fourth report of the subcommittee on agenda and procedure.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay, we have a motion by Mr. Poilievre. Is there discussion?

Okay, go ahead, Ms. Chow.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

I move that in the infrastructure study, the committee consider infrastructure programs of other countries, such as Germany, the U.S. and Australia, and that the study be reported to the House of Commons.

Last week I circulated a memo to committee members that gave some examples of other countries, including what methodology they use and what kind of infrastructure programs they have. It ranges from tax transfers to grants. There are different ways to fund infrastructure, and Canada has a—

[Lawrence Toet, Conservative, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Yes, Mr. Toet?

[Lawrence Toet, Conservative, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

I think I'm missing something here. Ms. Chow was talking about a document we got, and I'm not aware of this. I don't know whether it was broadly spread to the committee, but if she is willing to table that today or if you can give it to us so that we all know what she's talking about, it would be helpful.