Evidence of meeting #2 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was subcommittee.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4 p.m.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I don't want to belabour the topic, but my opinion is that if in our motion we specify a smaller number of meetings, it's easier for us to increase that number than it is to decrease it. If we give the clerks and the chair direction that we want six meetings, I'm sure that all of these topics can be filled up with six meetings' worth of business. It seems like the problem that we're going to have is the opposite: It's going to be harder to limit things than it is going to be to fill our time. We have a really full agenda in front of us.
That's just my opinion. As you say, it's at the discretion of the committee—
4 p.m.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
—so if we get to the end of the allocated meetings and feel, as a group, that we're not done with that topic, we can vote to extend it.
4 p.m.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I think it's going to be harder for us to go the other way.
4 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Vance Badawey
That's a great point. I think doing the math, we may want to say to the clerk, once, for example, the witnesses are tallied and we all put our witnesses in and agree on who they are going to be.... They get 10 minutes a pop. Do the math, and then, of course, allow time for us to ask questions. There may be an opportunity for the committee, once the witnesses are submitted and the clerk comes back, to say, “You know what? We may only need four meetings,” or “We may need six meetings,” depending on how many witnesses we want to hear.
Is that fair enough? Is that a fair comment?
4 p.m.
A voice
Yes. Good point.
4 p.m.
Conservative
4 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Vance Badawey
Okay, then we'll move to the motion that Mr. Rogers has brought forward. Are there any further questions or comments on that motion?
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
4:05 p.m.
A voice
Don't tell him who you were texting.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Pursuant to my previous questions, are we still at six meetings for this topic? If so, I would propose an amendment that we set it at four meetings.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Churence Rogers Liberal Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL
Looking at the scope of the study, it looks pretty massive. If we want to go with four, as you said, and add a meeting later if we want, that's fine. I'm good with that amendment.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
