Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 17th, 2011
Evidence of meeting #50 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 chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
On the agenda
MPs speaking
Also speaking
- William V. Baker Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety
- Doug Nevison Director, Fiscal Policy Division, Economic and Fiscal Policy Branch, Department of Finance
- Ned Franks Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Studies, Queen's University, As an Individual
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
Insults only come from you, is that how it works?
11:20 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Joe Preston
You've blown your Mr. Congeniality award today, Mr. Brison, but let's try to get the questions in here.
March 17th, 2011 / 11:20 a.m.
Conservative
11:20 a.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Chair, the government is facing a breach of privilege, facing a potential contempt of Parliament, the first time in the Commonwealth that a government has faced this kind of charge from a Speaker's ruling.
Minister Flaherty was requested by committee to appear before committee. Earlier today Minister Flaherty was seen going in the direction of the House of Commons gym. I have nothing against fitness, and it is St. Patrick's Day, which may be a special day for Minister Flaherty, but I can't understand for the life of me why the government continues to show contempt for this Parliament when Minister Flaherty, who was asked specifically by this committee to appear before the committee and is in Ottawa, refused to show up at this committee.
Minister Menzies, the finance committee set a deadline of November 24, 2010, for your department to provide the information requested. That deadline passed without even an acknowledgement by your department, which showed contempt, frankly. On December 10 your government responded that “The requested information on corporate income taxes is still covered by cabinet confidence.” Do you still believe that to be true, or were you misleading the committee at that time?
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Ted Menzies Macleod, AB
Well, thank you for that wonderful opening vote of confidence in a new minister of this government.
If I could just comment, Mr. Brison, you and I sat on the finance committee together for as long as you were finance critic. I think that you and I got along quite well. Ideologically, sometimes we may have had different viewpoints, but you will recall, sir, that I supported your motion on October 6. I supported—
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Ted Menzies Macleod, AB
Could I finish, please?
I supported your motion because I wanted to make sure that we were providing whatever information we could to that committee to do its work, within the bounds of cabinet confidentiality.
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Ted Menzies Macleod, AB
We supported that motion. Actually, your motion asked for a response from the finance department within ten days. You received that response on the 27th of October, which is ten sitting days.
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Kings—Hants, NS
The response from the minister's government on December 10 was that the requested information on corporate income taxes was still covered by cabinet confidence.
Minister, did you support that response from your department?
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Kings—Hants, NS
Okay. So you say you do believe that the information we requested as a committee--
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Ted Menzies Macleod, AB
The specific information that you requested at that time was viewed to be of cabinet confidentiality.