Government Operations Committee on April 5th, 2022

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. McCauley.

Just to reiterate, I would ask that everybody be respectful of each other. I know you are. Just realize that when tempers get heated they sometimes get away, so please be respectful of that throughout.

Ms. Vignola.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Thank you.

To my knowledge, the agreement is public. It has been published on the Prime Minister's website, unless I am mistaken. So, if it is already public, why move this motion? Are you concerned that some aspects of the agreement are concealed from the public?

I always need to understand. Yet, in this case, I don't understand, as the agreement is public.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Mr. Johns, I know you're up next. Do you mind if I get Mr. Paul-Hus to answer that question before we go to you?

Thank you.

Go ahead, Mr. Paul-Hus.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

I thank the member for her question.

Yes, the outcome of the agreement has been published, and we know all the areas on which the NDP has made requests to the Liberal government. However, there are things we do not know. In addition, this is a supply and confidence agreement—in other words, the confidence established between two parties, the government party and one of the three opposition parties. The Bloc Québécois and the Conservative Party are left completely out of it. The Conservative Party was never asked whether it would like to participate in an agreement to achieve common objectives, and neither was the Bloc Québécois. That party has been shortchanged in all this, as it has been completely relegated to the back.

We want to understand where this agreement came from and how it was negotiated to get to what is now public. What is this agreement? Has the NDP leader signed an official document with the Prime Minister to seal the agreement? Is there an official document that ensures there would be no election between now and 2025?

Of course, the details and texts have been published, but what we want to know is everything behind that. The same goes for vaccines: we know there are vaccines, but we have never seen the contracts. The principle is very similar.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Paul-Hus.

Mr. Johns.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

I have a couple of things.

First, Mr. McCauley, I just got on this committee. We listened to what the Conservatives wanted. They put forward two studies and a bunch of witnesses. We prioritized them—they're the official opposition—and made sure they got to do what they wanted to do, and next was the Bloc. I thought that was fair, the way the election played out. The government isn't even getting priority. They're actually behind.

I thought this committee was working pretty well, for the Conservatives especially. Now they bring forward this motion, and I have a lot of concerns with this motion.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Just vote no.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

I will vote no. I can assure you of that.

I think the big problem I have is that this is on the website. It's very clear. There are limited items in the agreement. They're vague. There is no fine print on it.

[An hon. member]

Let's just adjourn....

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

No, I'm not just going to adjourn this meeting. You want to bring us here. You want to bring forward a motion like this. We're going to sit here and maybe have a conversation. I have no problem with that—no problem at all. I have a lot to say about this.

We are here to help people. We came here to help people. The Bloc has voted with the Liberals before on issues that we haven't. They've negotiated. They did that throughout COVID. We saw that happen.

The Conservatives had every opportunity to approach the Prime Minister and try to make an arrangement on certain items, to pass the budget or whatever issues. That was up to the Conservatives. They decided not to do that. We decided to help Canadians. We went to the table and brought forward some items that we thought would benefit Canadians. Listening to what Canadians said, we were going to make sure that we didn't have another unfair election. We wanted to make sure we got help for Canadians. That was our top priority.

That's what we're here to do, and that's what we're going to keep doing. If you look at our motions in the House of Commons, they are motions to help Canadians, not to create partisan politics and not to play games. I don't come here to play games with any of you. We come here to help people, to create jobs for Canadians, a better way of life, a better environment, reconciliation, helping people who need help, not forgetting about communities that are forgotten. That's why we're here. We're here to help people, to work together. Motions like this don't bring us together. They are not designed to help people.

Our agreement is online. There's nothing more to it. That's it.

I'm happy to have this conversation. We can sit here all day. I'll sit here all night. We can talk about what's missing in this country, how many other motions we could have brought forward tonight to talk about. I'm happy to have that conversation anytime. On ways that we can help Canadians, I will talk all day about the ways we can help Canadians and the more work that we all need to do together, not just this agreement. This agreement is a starting place between two parties. We need to do more together, all of us. We have an obligation.

I'm done.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Johns.

I'm looking around the room and I do not see any more hands up. With that, I assume the debate is done.

I will ask if you would like to call for a recorded vote.

[Some hon. members]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

(Motion negatived: nays 6; yeas 3)

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

With that said, we are at the end of the meeting. I would like to first of all thank the interpreters and the technicians for staying with us and for the great work they do, as well as our analysts.

I would also like to point out to members of the committee that you will notice the clerk today is Mrs. Burke. Miriam is going to be filling in from time to time for our clerk, Paul. Please thank her for the great work she's doing.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

She brings a lot of experience to the committee.

Thank you everybody, and I declare the meeting adjourned.