Evidence of meeting #22 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was siksay.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:55 a.m.
An hon. member
Point of order, Mr. Chair.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Just a moment, Mr. Easter. I'm sorry. Mr. Hoback has called a point of order.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Okay. Order. Order. [Inaudible--Editor]...that's not a point of order.
Mr. Easter, go ahead.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Walsh, when he was before the committee, said that “the Prime Minister, and any minister, has no authority to prevent someone from appearing in front of a committee”, and went on to say, “but everyone has a duty, apart from members of Parliament, senators, and the Governor General, to show up when summoned before a committee”.
My question is, with that kind of background—you're the Minister of Justice—how do you square that circle for us to be able to do our jobs and still at the same time argue that you're an accountable and transparent government. How can you argue it?
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
Well, again, you've heard my testimony here today about all the different efforts through the Accountability Act in making all of these different crown corporations, commissions, and individuals be within the Access to Information Act.
With respect to the doctrine of ministerial responsibility, Mr. Easter, you may or may not be a student of the British parliamentary system, but ministerial responsibility is embedded in our system: ministers are accountable and answerable to Parliament and, by extension, to the public.
Again, if you aren't satisfied with the answers I'm giving you—or indeed any minister—you're free to make the argument that you don't like that, but that is part of our system, ministerial accountability. I know that my other cabinet colleagues have made every effort to appear before committees.
Again, I'm here myself, and I'm pleased to have officials from the Department of Justice here on perhaps technical questions that you may have with respect to reforming the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act. I'm pleased to provide that technical assistance, but the buck stops with the ministers. That is part of our parliamentary system and it has been for at least a couple of centuries.
Noon
Conservative
Noon
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
That makes my point. You have staff with you who deal with the technical area and that's all right on the public servant side, but the staff we want to deal with--
Noon
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
--in order to get information on what they've done, are the ones who actually “done the deed”.... They know where they were at a certain time and we have to be able to access them, and Mr. Walsh claims we have that right. You as a government are subverting our rights as parliamentarians.
Noon
Conservative
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
Well, you say you want to question “what they done...”. I can say to you that if you want technical... Sometimes it happens. Many times I've been before committees and they do want technical information, and again, with respect to the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act, for which I was invited, yes, I've brought technical staff.
If you're asking me on a political level, again, I speak on behalf of the department for political responsibility. As I say, that is part of our system, and I think it's a system that's very workable.
So I take responsibility for anything on the political side, but at the same time, if you need technical assistance now or in the future, I'm always pleased to provide that.
Noon
A voice
Don't start the clock yet.
Noon
Voices
Oh, oh!
Noon
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
I believe we led the minister to expect to spend exactly one hour here. It's now noon. I believe that he has probably planned other meetings for the early afternoon to which he has to move on. If we could allow him to do that by honouring the time commitment we sought from him, I think it would be well appreciated.
Noon
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Do I understand that the member is suggesting that we stick to the time commitment we asked of him?
Noon
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
I understand that he had committed to be here for one hour.
