Information & Ethics Committee on Feb. 7th, 2011

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Is that February 16?

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

February 16.

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

I'm sorry, I don't have the schedule with me and that's why I'm having to rely on you, but thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Okay.

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Then we do have some time potentially for February 16, if we were to take a look. There is some time on the schedule.

I would seek your permission, Mr. Chair, if we could call the CBC to appear on February 16, seeing as we have some time. I think we're going to need some time to look into this. Then we can, perhaps as a committee, look at some future dates. But since we do have some time on February 16, I'd like us to consider calling them before the committee on February 16.

I will stick to the original thoughts of last week, Mr. Chair. I find it unacceptable that an organization that takes well over $1 billion can't seem to squeeze us into their schedule three months after a motion was passed by this committee. I would respectfully submit that we call them before the committee on February 16 and we reserve that date for a further review and to begin the investigation of the motion I brought forward before Christmas.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Thank you for your comments. There are just two items, Mr. Calandra.

First of all, to change the committee's schedule I believe would require a motion from you to call whichever witnesses you have in mind.

The second one is important. It's our information that the Office of the Information Commissioner will be issuing a report. We are informed that this report will include an analysis on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which will form the parameter of our hearing, I would assume. We are informed that this report will be tabled prior to March 21. I think it's important that we have that before we have the hearing.

I don't know if they're going to table it before March 16 or not, but I know it will be before March 21. That is an important issue on this whole discussion.

The clerk has pointed out that February 16 was talked about before and they weren't available on that date. There were a number of discussions and e-mails to come to the February 21 date.

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

I don't want to belabour it too much, but I don't want to have to set our schedules based on when the Information Commissioner might issue a report. I'm envisioning a much more extensive hearing than just one day, to be honest with you, Mr. Chair. So if it's in order, I'd like to put a motion forward that we reserve February 16 to commence the investigation or to look at fulfilling the obligations of the motion I passed before Christmas.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Could you be a little more specific on your motion, Mr. Calandra? Because that's not part of the business of the day, we're going to accept that as notice. That motion will be typed up and circulated and we'll vote on it at Wednesday's meeting, in accordance with the 48 hours' notice.

Could you be just a little more specific as to the witnesses you plan on calling?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Mr. Chair, specifically:

That February 16, 2011, be reserved to commence the study into the access to information at the CBC, as per the motion filed December 14, 2010, and that Mr. Lacroix be compelled to attend.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

And the Information Commissioner, too?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

No, we can start there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

We're not going to debate the motion, members. This is going to be for notice only, and the motion will come back to the committee on Wednesday, February 9.

The clerk will clarify the wording. It has to be very specific. Is it to call or to summons Mr. Lacroix?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

At this point I think we'll say to call Mr. Lacroix for the 16th.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Okay, so it will be to call Mr. Lacroix to be a witness to testify before the committee on Wednesday, the 16th of February—and we'll get the wording right—as to looking at their compliance with the access to information legislation in Canada.

So that's the gist of it. We'll accept that motion on notice. I will ask the clerk to perhaps go over the wording with Mr. Calandra, and that will be brought back before the committee on Wednesday of this week.

Dr. Bennett, we'll let you speak, but we're not going to debate the motion.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Chair, it's process.

I think Mr. Calandra should understand that his representative at the steering committee, Ms. Davidson, did an excellent job taking his wishes forward today at one o'clock—

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Ms. Bennett, could I interrupt you just for a second?

As you know, what goes on at the steering committee is not to be broadcast to the world.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

But this was dealt with at the steering committee, and the clerk told us then that Mr. Lacroix is not available on February 16. So I don't know why we're redoing.... This is now three weeks in a row that a member doesn't seem to understand what their representative on the steering committee has already done.

[An hon. member]

A point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

He's within his rights.

The steering committee is not a decision-making body. Any decisions made by the steering committee have to be ratified by this committee. And if the committee as a whole, the majority of the committee, does not agree with the direction or any decision made by the steering committee, it's certainly within their rights to change it or overrule it. We understand that.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

A point of order, Mr. Chair.

I think it's incumbent upon you to make a ruling as to the accessibility of what happened in the steering committee to the public. I think you made a point that it should have been in camera, in private, and I think, with all due respect, this member has divulged information that this committee should not be privy to.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Well, the information of the steering committee is set out in the agenda. That's the—

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Chair, the final decisions, but the actual inner workings of the committee—

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

Yes.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

—I think if you're going to have it function—

[The Chair, Liberal, Shawn Murphy]

The deliberations are, yes. You're quite right.