Evidence of meeting #24 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was come.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
In order for you to do your job most effectively, in order to bring to light the activities that happen, to bring credibility to the business of lobbying, which three, or two, if you had to pick, would be the most important for you?
12:25 p.m.
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
The most important would be administrative monetary penalties, the removal of a significant part of duties, and listing all of the lobbyists who actually attend the monthly communication.
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
12:25 p.m.
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
Those would be my top three.
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB
Do you give any credence to some of the suggestions from those who have come that, due to the sensitive nature of some meetings—whether it would have an effect on markets or whatever the case might be—they would like to move away from monthly to, say, quarterly reporting, or have some mechanism by which they...? There is the allegation that just having the meeting and reporting the meeting could trigger whatever plans they have to effect their policy changes.
12:25 p.m.
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
When the monthly reporting was first being discussed, those same concerns—if I recall correctly—were actually discussed. Actually, it wasn't just confidential, it was security issues, which is why, when one looks at a monthly report, it doesn't have the particulars of the meeting. It would simply indicate “defence” or “finance”. The details are filed in the initial registration. The details are not in the monthly communication reports.
12:25 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Jean Crowder
Great. Thank you, Mr. Calkins. Your time is up.
Thank you, Commissioner.
We'll now go to Monsieur Morin, for five minutes.
12:25 p.m.
NDP
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Mrs. Shepherd, I have a question for you.
According to the website of the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada, 112 cases were audited, and 32 lobbyists were deemed to have violated the Lobbying Act between 1984 and 2011. However, the RCMP did not lay charges in any of those cases. Could you tell us why none of those 32 guilty parties were charged by the RCMP?
12:25 p.m.
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
In terms of an....
The website talks about 32 cases, but there were actually 37 founded cases. My predecessor and I referred 12 of those cases to the RCMP.
12:30 p.m.
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
I just referred a case a few weeks ago.
12:30 p.m.
NDP
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Why has the RCMP not laid any charges or done anything with those cases?
12:30 p.m.
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
Sorry, I didn't understand your question.
12:30 p.m.
NDP
12:30 p.m.
Commissioner of Lobbying, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying
As I explained last December, there are various reasons for that. Perhaps the deadline for laying charges had passed or perhaps there was insufficient evidence. I would suggest asking the RCMP directly.
12:30 p.m.
NDP
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
That's a good point, especially since, last Tuesday, my colleague Pierre-Luc Dusseault asked the committee to invite RCMP representatives to appear.
12:30 p.m.
NDP
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Unless I am mistaken, when Mr. Dusseault
moved a motion. It was in public.
12:30 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Jean Crowder
As long as you don't discuss the result of the decision that was made in camera....