Transport Committee on Nov. 20th, 2012

[The Clerk]

Yes.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Ms. Chow.

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

I just want to be very clear. That document initially was for the subcommittee, because the chair called a subcommittee to look at what we would study after the emerging technologies one, which we concluded.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

On that, Olivia—not to interrupt you—yes, it came before steering committee. However, you did bring it out. I had it circulated, and it did come out in public to the whole committee.

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

Yes, absolutely.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

There are two things that seem to be confused a little bit. There's what you actually said, which is in the minutes, and based on what I've seen, they do reflect that. But it does not take away from the fact that you tabled a report with some recommendations that are public.

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

Absolutely.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I just wanted to point that out.

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

Absolutely.

I just want to say, though, that what I tabled was really meant to guide a study to explore other examples, not that we are necessarily advocating for it. I just want to be very clear on that. It's neither here nor there at this point.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Toet, go ahead.

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

Just for clarification on that, Ms. Chow was actually reading from a document, and that's when I requested.... She was reading from it as if we knew what it was, and I had no idea what the document was because I wasn't in the steering committee meeting. I requested that the document be tabled so that we could all see it. It was a document that she was definitely referencing in the public meeting, and she was referencing deeply into that document. That's why I requested it. As she was going along, I realized that it seemed to be a document that she was reading from. She was going through the process of that document.

That's why it came into the public meeting, on my request, because I thought it would be much easier, rather than listening to her read this whole document, to actually share it with us.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Is there further discussion? If there's nothing else—

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

Mr. Chair, we will be finishing the emerging technologies study in two or three weeks, I believe. When do you want us to submit names of witnesses for the infrastructure study, to give the clerk enough time to prepare? Otherwise it becomes very rushed and people don't have enough time to prepare what they are saying to us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I guess my suggestion or recommendation would be that you can do that at any time, to get ready.

As for the report, the original plan was to go into it on Thursday, but translation wasn't able to be completed, so we're going to start clause-by-clause on that next Tuesday.

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

Okay. What are we doing this Thursday, then?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Well, there's nothing on the....

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

So we don't have a meeting on Thursday?

I have a motion asking the minister to come and talk about supplementary estimates (B). I believe that in prior meetings there was discussion that he's willing to do so. Is that happening this Thursday, or don't we know?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

No. I can tell you that at this point it isn't. I don't even think he's been asked to come this Thursday.

I don't know, Mr. Poilievre, if you could.... I would think that probably at this short notice that would be a long shot.

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

Is the meeting cancelled, or are we still—

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I haven't officially cancelled, but, yes, unless there's business coming up that the committee wants to do, right now....

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

Mr. Chair, I know that if the committee is willing to give unanimous consent to allow my motion to ask the minister—not this coming meeting, but in the future—to study....

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

To invite him.

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

Yes, to invite him for the supplementary estimates (B). We could just deal with it now and not have the meeting on Thursday. It makes no sense for us to.... It'll save a lot of money.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

You're asking if you have unanimous consent to deal with it today.