Okay.
Evidence of meeting #61 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #61 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
You are asking me whether we should ask the witnesses to leave and thereby miss the opportunity to hear my excellent speech?
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Can you tell me again exactly what you want us to do?
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
My suggestion is this, Mr. Berthold. Clearly you feel you have a lot to say. We have witnesses sitting here who are clearly not going to get an opportunity to be asked questions. My suggestion is that if the committee desires, we could go ahead and vote on the supplementary estimates. This way the witnesses could then leave. You would still have the floor. We would go back to your having the floor.
The supplementary estimates will be automatically deemed approved if we do nothing, but we do have witnesses, and out of respect, if the committee has questions, we could take a few minutes to ask them of the witnesses who are here. If not, out of courtesy to the witnesses, I think we should let them go.
Noon
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
That's a very good point, Madam Chair.
I simply want to establish a parallel in order to understand the situation. Earlier, we wanted to continue the discussion on Mr. Rayes' motion because we wanted to try to vote on it, but that vote never took place. You did not allow us to debate Mr. Rayes' motion. Now you are asking me to stop talking about that motion so that we can vote.
Noon
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
I look forward to it until 2 o'clock or whatever time you want to stop. I'm just saying that as a courtesy to the witnesses, there is no reason to insist that the witnesses stay on the supplementary estimates when clearly no one is interested in asking any questions. I think if it's within my jurisdiction to allow the witnesses to leave so that we're not tying up their time with other issues that are not related to why they are here before us, if I have the permission of the committee to....
Yes, Mr. Berthold.
Noon
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Madam Chair, I think it should be said that we are debating this motion because we were not allowed to debate the motion on the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
Noon
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
It is important for Canadians to know this. Contrary to what has been suggested and what people may think, the fact that the witnesses are present is really useful to us. We have questions to ask about the supplementary estimates. I would have liked to talk about budget issues with representatives from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. We had some very good questions, which could have been entirely relevant in our ongoing study on aviation safety.
I wouldn't want people to think that we don't want to talk to the witnesses. Quite the opposite. We want to do that, but as the opposition party, we don't like to be gagged like we were last time. We wanted to talk about the motion on the Canada Infrastructure Bank, but the first time, the government members decided to adjourn the debate. As the opposition party, we have to protect our rights.
Moreover, I think that the people who are here know enough about public affairs to understand that we have a role to play as the opposition. Unfortunately, we had to take advantage of the opportunity that arose this morning, since we were not allowed to vote on my colleague's motion. I will have to find out what exactly happened.
Madam Chair, if you want to let the witnesses go, I completely agree. As for the vote on the credits, we could deal with it at the end of the intervention. I have no objection to that.
Noon
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Thank you very much, Mr. Berthold.
I'm going to thank the witnesses who are here and those by teleconference. My apologies, but clearly everyone enjoyed having you here.
Noon
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
I feel I have to clarify something for Mr. Rayes.
We dedicated Tuesday, our 16th meeting, the whole two hours, at your and finance's request, to deal with the infrastructure bank; and we had a two-hour block of time to do that. The following Thursday we already had the aviation study folks coming. By Friday, the finance committee wanted whatever answer was coming. We were also told that we could move any amendments we wanted and send them directly to finance. The only time allotment for that, Mr. Rayes, was that Tuesday. There was some mix-up with the date and how it was sent out.
I apologize for whatever clerical issue happened.
Noon
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
There was no time to go back for another meeting to deal with the infrastructure bank because we were set to deal with aviation.
Noon
Conservative
Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Madam Chair, I'd like to respond to what you just said.
There may have been a mixup in the date and clerical issues, but the fact remains that you wrote to the chair of the finance committee and said that our committee didn't have any recommendations. You never put the question to the committee members. I had a recommendation; I had it with me that Thursday. I even sent it afterwards, as that was the only way it would get submitted. I didn't have the opportunity to make that recommendation in committee, as I should have.
Noon
An hon. member
Yes you did.
Noon
An hon. member
No we did not.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
May I speak without constantly being interrupted? I'd like to finish speaking.
I believe it was partly because of them that I didn't have the opportunity to discuss my motion or have it voted on. The arrogance is not coming from over here.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
12:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Okay.
Mr. Rayes, will due respect, you should have moved those amendments on the Tuesday when we had the folks here and we had a two-hour block of time to deal with the infrastructure bank. We specifically allocated two hours so that the committee would have the time—you, in particular, because I recognized your interest.
The issue of the date on the letter was a clerical one, but it didn't change your ability to submit your amendments, which I understand you have done. The committee was not hamstrung and members prevented from submitting their amendments individually.
