Canadian Heritage Committee on Oct. 5th, 2023

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

We've agreed on that.

Thank you very much. We've finished with Bill S-202.

I have Mr. Champoux.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

We did not approve the budget for the bill.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I don't have a question about the budget for the bill.

Do we have to pass a budget for the bill here?

No, we don't have to for the bill to carry, but we can adopt it if you want. Do you have the budget in front of you, all of you?

Shall the budget for the bill be approved?

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

I read before that it's $4,500. Is that right? I can't find it.

What was it for? Is it just for travel and regular stuff?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

It's for witnesses, etc., for food and whatnot.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Okay. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

It's for witnesses and food.

I have Mr. Waugh.

Is it on this issue of the budget?

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Yes, it's on the issue of the budget.

In front of us are multi-million dollar facilities that the House of Commons has set up. We've seen that during Zoom and the pandemic. We've seen everything. Why are we bringing people to Ottawa? This is ridiculous. We have a multi-million dollar set-up in front of me yet we want to bring a person in from Winnipeg at $2,200. There's an unspecified person coming in for $1,200. It's a total of $3,400.

I see no reason in this budget to bring people in. We can bring them in on Zoom. We've done this in the past. I have emphatically asked every committee in the House of Commons to start using the multi-million dollar facilities in front of us. This is ridiculous, and it needs to be addressed in every committee, including ours here today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Go ahead, Mr. Julian.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

First, I have a question, Madam Chair.

My understanding—because we've completed the process—is that the money was not spent. Is that right? How much of it has been spent?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Clerk, can you tell us how much of it has been spent?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Geneviève Desjardins]

I can't confirm right now what has been spent. It won't be exactly this. This was prepared before the witnesses had confirmed, and since then nothing has been put onto this budget since it has not been approved by the committee yet.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Okay. That was my question.

I agree with Mr. Waugh in terms of making sure that we're spending the least possible. This issue came up yesterday at the public safety committee, where a Conservative filibuster cost about $50,000 to Canadian taxpayers. Over the course of two meetings it cost $50,000. That's more than most Canadians earn in a year, and the $50,000 Conservative filibuster there was simply burning through taxpayers' money.

Madam Chair, we saw, I think, a similar situation when the CRTC head came. As we were waiting to question them, there was a filibuster. The filibusters are taking place now at all committees. At every single committee, you'll see a Conservative filibuster. I believe this is at the direction of the member for Carleton, and it is costing Canadians tens of thousands of dollars rather than allowing committees to do their work. I'm thankful that with the majority support from three-quarters of the parties in the House of Commons we're able to get this bill done.

I would agree with Mr. Waugh that we have to be very prudent with the taxpayers' dollars. I think the Conservative filibusters have been incredibly costly and should cease because we have to walk the talk, and I think that would be a first step for Conservatives to save Canadians' hard-earned money.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I would like to just clarify, actually, to the committee—just to look at the budget, because we can amend the budget—that the witness from Winnipeg was a senator who in fact appeared virtually. Therefore, that money was not spent. In terms of the headsets, she had her own, which was an approved headset, so that money was not spent.

We're really looking at $500 for food.

Go ahead, Ms. Gladu.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

That was the point I was going to make—that really the budget is very small for this bill, which will help our visual artists all over Canada—so let's just approve the budget and move on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Ms. Gladu.

Do I hear any objection to this? There is none. Therefore, the budget is approved. Thank you very much.

With it being almost time to end this meeting, is there anything else we want to discuss?

Go ahead, Marilyn.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

I move a motion to adjourn.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

The meeting is adjourned.