Government Operations Committee on Nov. 24th, 2009

[A voice]

And distribution to the committee members in one or the other official language?

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Random—Burin—St. George's, NL]

That's right, as tabled.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Okay.

Mr. Anders.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

Madam Chair, I believe Mr. Plamondon moved a motion and then Ms. Foote moved a motion. If you want to clear that up, I don't care which motion it is, but Mr. Plamondon—

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Madam Foote moves that the report that was submitted to us from Infrastructure Canada be distributed in the format it was given to the committee, in whatever language it was given. It's in both languages, actually, in terms of the Quebec portion.

Those in favour of the motion, please signify. Those against?

I will break the tie, voting in favour.

(Motion agreed to)

The next thing I'd like the committee to note is that Madame Bourgeois wanted the study of the large infrastructure projects and the procurement process. Mr. Minto has stated that....

Attention Monsieur Plamondon, s'il vous plaît!

Mr. Minto suggested that he has produced his report. He would like to be here with the committee for two hours. That means that Public Works and Government Services, who are coming on November 26, is going to attend to the large IT projects as well as estimates on that day. It's just a little switch around. This is for information purposes. On December 1, Mr. Minto is going to be here for two hours.

With that amendment, we concur with the report. Is anybody opposed to the report?

Are you opposed to the report?

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Madam Chair, you're making changes. I'd like to see that in written form so we can look at it. Maybe repeat it. I didn't quite catch it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I will repeat it.

On December 1, we have Mr. Minto coming in for the first hour, and Public Works and Government Services is coming for the second hour to verify that they were following the processes of Mr. Minto. But we also have Public Works and Government Services—if you have your copy of the fifth report—coming on November 26 anyway, to give us their analysis of how they are handling procurement of large IT projects. I'm sure this committee has been studying this for a long time.

Since Mr. Minto is the ombudsman and has released his report, he would like to be here for two hours. That's all I'm suggesting. Since Public Works is already here on November 26—

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

You've had a lot of commentary in addition to that. What I'm looking for is the dates and the meetings.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

On November 26, Public Works and Government Services is going to be here. We are moving them away from December 1 to allow Mr. Minto two hours. That's the only change.

Is it agreed? Are we clear?

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

I understand what you're saying; I'm not necessarily agreeing with the report.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ah, but the report is everything the steering committee did, and we are eliminating number 6 from the report.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

That may be the case.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

You can say you don't agree with the report.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

I don't think I agree with the report, just because I think there are more pressing matters.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Fair enough.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

That's fair enough. That's separate from my questions for clarification.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

The clerk tells me that since you are not agreeing with the report, I'll have to ask for a show of hands for people who would like to concur with the fifth report of the steering committee, with the changes that Mr. Minto, the ombudsman for procurement, stay for two hours on December 1 instead of one hour and that number 6 be eliminated. Number 6 is for translation, which is not going to happen.

Those who want to concur with the report, please raise your hands.

Those who do not wish the report to be concurred with, please raise your hands.

(Motion agreed to)

Now we go to a motion by Mr. Anders.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'm just going to read the motion: “That the determination of the OGGO committee agenda be made by the entire committee during regular meetings of the committee rather than in meetings of its Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure.”

We've had a few different steering committee meetings, probably more than I'm used to. Sometimes they're on incredibly short notice, while at other times they get moved despite short notice. At other times, we've had members arrive very late.

It all has to come back to the full committee anyhow. I would prefer, in terms of committees I've served on previously, that it be dealt with on the public record rather than in camera, during the regular committee hours. It just saves us a third committee meeting, which was happening basically every week. I leave it at that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Does anybody want to speak or shall I just call the vote?

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Is there any other business?

We are adjourned.