Evidence of meeting #49 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was costs.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:25 p.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
As you stated in your introduction, you served several different prime ministers. Did you ever experience something similar to what we are currently facing?
3:25 p.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
You have experience as a clerk, but you also have in-depth knowledge of the democratic institution. What is your political analysis of our current situation? In your opinion, what possible explanation is there for our having to deal with this issue today or this afternoon?
3:25 p.m.
As an Individual
To be perfectly frank, I don't think it's because of the minority government. Personally, I would have thought that such things would be more likely to occur with a majority government. I find it odd that you are all angry about these Cabinet confidences when there is a minority government.
3:25 p.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Please explain why you are so surprised by that. I'm curious.
3:25 p.m.
As an Individual
The power of a minority government is challenged by the Opposition. That is more important now than it was before.
3:25 p.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
So, under normal circumstances, we should have access to what we are requesting, when there are unanimous motions.
3:25 p.m.
As an Individual
I would think that, under normal circumstances, a government could more easily abuse its privileges when it has a majority.
3:25 p.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Is your impression that there has been an abuse of privilege even though we currently have a minority government?
3:25 p.m.
Bloc
3:25 p.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Reading between the lines, I'd say that you think what we are currently going through is abnormal with a minority government. At least, that is what I understood.
Indeed, under normal circumstances, a government that respects the democratic institution of Parliament should comply with its wishes when it demands certain documents through various means, including via motions, and now through an order of the Speaker.
3:25 p.m.
As an Individual
Yes, absolutely. So, if the ministers were able to provide documents and disclose figures today, I imagine they could have done that previously—earlier in the process.
3:25 p.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
In political terms, how do you see the fact that we received them today?
3:25 p.m.
A voice
He is with the Public Policy Research Institute.
3:25 p.m.
Conservative
3:25 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, if I'm not mistaken, Mr. Armstrong was saying earlier that members of Parliament could get more documentation from a former prime minister. However, in this case—and I want this to be clear—we are not talking about documents connected to the former government. These are documents connected to the current government. We are talking about bills put forward by the current government and information held by the current government. There is a difference between the two, because he is suggesting—
3:25 p.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
It's a bill that is before us. So, Mr. Armstrong is mixing apples and oranges.
The request we are making is justifiable. Now here it has to be decided whether this presents a risk for public safety, for this or that. Otherwise, why not disclose the information? We're really not asking for much. One bill in particular costs this much and we want to know where they get their numbers. We're not asking for much.
As far as they are concerned, we are asking for a lot because I don't think they have an answer. The Conservative government just knows that it is bringing in law-and-order bills, but it doesn't even have the figures to allow Canadians to know how much this is going to cost them and it is unable to provide them to us. It doesn't know where to hide anymore; so, it hides behind the Cabinet.
