Veterans Affairs Committee on June 6th, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Mr. Thibault, please. I think Mr. Sweet was on the same point of order.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

It's not so much a point of order, but some clarification, so that we make the best of what we have here.

Ms. Burdett mentioned that she's going to go back and meet with the grassroots members. I want to know whether we need to arrange a follow-up, so that after they've consulted regarding this next generation of bill of rights, as well as regarding the ombudsman...how we're going to follow up, so we get that information back and make this productive.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

I think it's something for all of us to consider, and hopefully for our friends from the Legion to consider.

Mr. Thibault, is it on the point of order?

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Yes, it's on the same point of order.

I want to make sure, Mr. Chairman, that you and our witnesses understand that the points given by one member do not necessarily reflect the views of all members.

I've been participating here in committees for five years. We have a committee, and soon we're going to have the minister appear on main estimates. We're going to ask him questions about anything other than main estimates. We're going to ask questions on policy, and we're going to ask a lot of the questions we heard today. It's a tradition, it's always happened, and it will never change.

I think Madam Burdett made it very clear—and she's right in doing so—that if we drifted a bit off her presentation, it was because of our questions, which we were pleased to have you here to answer.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Hear, hear! Well said.

We still haven't completed a full second round rotation, but because we have about 20 minutes left in committee and we have a couple of motions to deal with, I am seeking the—

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Mr. Chair, I have one more question I'd like to clarify, if there's a little gap of time left.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

The next speaking spot would be for the Conservative Party, Mr. Sweet.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

I would be glad to settle that one question.

It's about Remembrance Day. Like my colleague, I have a concern about that. I've been of two minds. One is that I've talked with former Major-General MacKenzie, and he mentioned that there was real growth in the public school system, and some of the public schools were actually calling it a week of remembrance.

In one sense, I was thinking a statutory holiday would be most honourable. In another sense, I'm wondering if sometimes the participation of young people at cenotaphs goes down in those jurisdictions where there is a statutory holiday. I'm wondering if you've done any research on that. You don't have to take a position, but has there been any research about the participation at the cenotaphs in British Columbia since it's been a statutory holiday? And what do you see as far as participation in those areas where the schools get actively involved?

[Mary Ann Burdett]

I don't know if there has been a survey taken as such, but it's very obvious to those of us who attend a lot of these that there are a good number of people, big companies, etc., who, since it became a statutory holiday, have moved it to the nearest Friday or the nearest Monday, thereby taking a long weekend and disappearing to go fishing, to go shopping, or to go wherever they decide to go.

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Okay, that was my.... Again, I think I echo a number of comments here that we want to do what's best to not only serve but honour the memory of veterans. I would hate to do something that it was our intention to honour but in consequence caused the opposite.

[Mary Ann Burdett]

You get organizations like cadet squadrons, scouts, guides and that sort of thing still appearing in full, but the individual school students and the old scenario where the classroom was marched down to the cenotaph, that has all gone by the wayside.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

All right.

I'd like to thank our witnesses today. Thank you very much for your presentation.

I've just been informed that.... Many of us were informed of a vote this evening at 5:30 p.m., so we may have less time than the 20 minutes I thought. We'll try to deal with the motions as quickly as we can.

Thank you very much to our witnesses.

[Mary Ann Burdett]

Thank you.

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Chairman, there's a motion on the order paper in my name. I'd prefer that it be dealt with at the next meeting because there's one member of our party who would like to speak to it in my place at that meeting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Okay.

Monsieur Thibault has asked that we consider his motion at the next meeting.

For both of the motions put forward by our two members respectively, they've asked that they be put off to the next meeting. I'm okay with that, they're okay with that, and I can't imagine that there are any other objections.

The meeting is adjourned.