The committee met at 1606 in committee room 1, following a closed session.

Pre-budget consultations

The Chair (Ms. Soo Wong): I am resuming the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. With regard to the report, I’m going to call the question on a number of things.

First, shall the draft report, as amended, be adopted? All those in favour? Opposed? Carried.

Shall the final report be translated and printed? All those in favour? Opposed? Carried.

Upon the receipt of the printed report, shall the Chair—so I’m going to give you guys the following: (a) Present the committee’s report to the House? All those in favour? Opposed? Carried.

Interjection.

The Chair (Ms. Soo Wong): Okay, I’m going to have to give you three options, according to the Clerk. I’m going to read all three options: (a) present the committee’s report to the House; (b) present the report to the House, with a request that the report be considered by the House; (c) present the committee’s report to the House, with a motion that the report be adopted.

What is the will of the committee: (a), (b) or (c)?

Mrs. Laura Albanese: I think usually we have (c), right?

The Clerk of the Committee (Mr. Katch Koch): Usually (c), because the committee report will contain some recommendations. But in this case, it does not apply, because there are no recommendations attached to it. You can’t ask the House to adopt something that’s not there. This is why we’re left with three options, as the Chair has stated.

Ms. Daiene Vernile: What was (b) again?

The Chair (Ms. Soo Wong): So (b) is to present the committee’s report to the House, with a request that the report be considered by the House.

Ms. Cindy Forster: What’s to consider? There are no recommendations.

The Clerk of the Committee (Mr. Katch Koch): However, the House can still debate the report, like the select committee on mental health’s report. Their report was considered by the House. It was debated in the House.

Mrs. Laura Albanese: But it was a select committee.

The Clerk of the Committee (Mr. Katch Koch): That was a select committee. If you want, you can ask the House to debate the findings of the committee.

The Chair (Ms. Soo Wong): That’s not fair for the community who comes here for the committee.

Mrs. Laura Albanese: So we would go with (a).

The Clerk of the Committee (Mr. Katch Koch): Option (a) would be a straight presentation to the House; (b) would be to debate this report; and (c) would be for the House to adopt the report.

Mrs. Laura Albanese: But you said that we have no recommendations.

The Clerk of the Committee (Mr. Katch Koch): No recommendations.

Mrs. Laura Albanese: So (b) and (c) would not be appropriate.

Ms. Cindy Forster: Really, we’re presenting it to the House for information, at the end of the night.

The Clerk of the Committee (Mr. Katch Koch): If that’s the will of the committee, yes.

The Chair (Ms. Soo Wong): Okay. I’m hearing consensus that we’re adopting this: Present the committee’s report to the House, period. Right? All those in favour? Opposed? Carried.

Now the fourth question is dissenting opinions, setting the date for the opposition and the third party. I’m going to set the date for Thursday, March 10, 2016, all right? Do we need to put a time, Mr. Clerk? No time? Okay. Is that good with everybody?

Ms. Cindy Forster: Thursday, March 10, by 4 o’clock? What’s the end of the day?

The Chair (Ms. Soo Wong): Do you want to do it at the end of the day or the beginning of the day? We’ll do it at 4 o’clock? Okay, 4 o’clock, Thursday, March 10.

Any other—Mr. Fedeli.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: I have a motion to present the committee’s final report on pre-budget consultations, 2016, to the Minister of Finance.

I move that a copy of the final report of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs on pre-budget consultations, 2016, be presented to the Minister of Finance prior to the report being translated, printed and tabled in the House.

The Chair (Ms. Soo Wong): Questions and comments to this motion?

Seeing none, all those in favour? Opposed? Carried.

We’re going to adjourn the committee. Thank you very much.

The committee adjourned at 1611.

CONTENTS

Thursday 3 March 2016

Pre-budget consultations F-1289

STANDING COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

Chair / Présidente

Ms. Soo Wong (Scarborough–Agincourt L)

Vice-Chair / Vice-Président

Mr. Peter Z. Milczyn (Etobicoke–Lakeshore L)

Mrs. Laura Albanese (York South–Weston / York-Sud–Weston L)

Mr. Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre / Etobicoke-Centre L)

Mr. Toby Barrett (Haldimand–Norfolk PC)

Mr. Victor Fedeli (Nipissing PC)

Ms. Catherine Fife (Kitchener–Waterloo ND)

Ms. Ann Hoggarth (Barrie L)

Mr. Peter Z. Milczyn (Etobicoke–Lakeshore L)

Ms. Daiene Vernile (Kitchener Centre / Kitchener-Centre L)

Ms. Soo Wong (Scarborough–Agincourt L)

Substitutions / Membres remplaçants

Ms. Cindy Forster (Welland ND)

Mr. John Fraser (Ottawa South L)

Mrs. Kathryn McGarry (Cambridge L)

Clerk / Greffier

Mr. Eric Rennie

Staff / Personnel

Ms. Mercedes Lee, research officer,
Research Services

Mr. Ian Morris, research officer,
Research Services