Veterans Affairs Committee on Jan. 29th, 2008

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Are we going to discuss the trip?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

I was intending to adjourn, but if you wish, we can discuss it.

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Remember the issue we had at the budget committee. Was there any place dropped form the original list?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

No.

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

What was the issue? Just remind me.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Just to apprise committee members, I think I may have to be careful in terms of how I discuss this, because I'm not sure that the goings on of the liaison committee are....

[An hon. member]

In general terms.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

In general terms.

The suggestion was that we travel to all of the places mentioned, but that we travel at half strength, in a sense. I think there are some committee members who, because of conflicting committee assignments and what not, in terms of times.... We probably wouldn't be able to have a full component anyhow. It's a question, really, of the difference between a not-full component and half a component. Well, I'm not sure how big that is.

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

What was the breakdown with the number of members?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

The clerk may remember better than I. Was it six?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Alexandre Roger]

Six west and six east.

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

How do you break down the six? Is it six plus the chair, or six with the chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Six with the chair. So that's five.

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Five other members. How do you do that?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

I'll let the clerk explain that.

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Could we have a quick discussion so that we can get some answers?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

I'm asking the clerk, because he has a better grasp of it than I do.

[The Clerk]

It's six including the chair. Basically, the chair goes on only one side. Because there are twelve members of the committee, we split it right down the line in the middle. So six members will go on one side, and a different set of six members will go on the other side.

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

So it's not a party breakdown. You have twelve people, and you pick the half you can go on.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

That's right.

From what I understand, talking to some of my colleagues, at least on the Conservative side, I don't believe that everybody can travel. That being said, I think it's a little more accommodating than what you may initially think.

There is a plan, of course, to go back to the liaison committee. I certainly am supportive of the committee travelling as a whole. I would please ask you to talk to the members of your respective parties so that they clearly understand, when it comes before liaison, what we all wish.

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

May I make a comment on that, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Yes, of course.

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Peter, can you hear? This is mostly for your benefit.

You may recall you reported as you did, and then in the dying days of the session before Christmas I spoke to our whip, who spoke to the Bloc and the Conservatives, and we were going to have a unanimous motion in the House to revert to the original budget.

We need Peter to get his whip onside.

[The Chair, Conservative, Rob Anders]

Mr. Stoffer.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

I'll authorize it right now. I'll speak to Yvon.