Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 21st, 2011

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Chairman, my recollection is that nobody is hiding the fact that what was produced after the committee went public was the same motion that was introduced in camera. Therefore, I'm not breaching any in camera confidence in saying this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I recognize this meeting is usually an in camera meeting so that a full discussion like that could take place, but it is not today.

On paragraph 28.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Chair, let's go back to what was presented in camera and what was presented publicly. We are talking about a working document. We currently have a working document, but that does not mean that this document will be the final product.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I don't think the chair suggested that it was.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

No, not the chair, but Mr. Reid.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Mr. Reid, on paragraph 28, and please try to stay....

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

What I was working up to when the point of order was raised by Mr. Godin is simply to say that Mr. Brison is suggesting the committee objected. Well, some members of the committee certainly did object. It's a reasonable guess, given the fact that they're working as a team, which included a majority of the committee, but it was not the committee. It was not all members of the committee. To suggest otherwise is simply to depart from the facts and to present something that purports to be a fact that is not.

I would be against this particular amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you, Mr. Reid.

Mr. Young.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Chair, here we go again. The suggestion on behalf of Mr. Brison...first, he's trying to make sure the report is only two pages, and he's doing everything he can to take out vital information. Now he's trying to put things into the report that never happened. That did not happen. The majority of the committee did not make those statements or draw those conclusions. Unless it was the vote of the committee that said that, there's no evidence of that.

If Mr. Brison wants to agree, we can give the report to the analysts and see if every member of the coalition expressed that view at the hearings, and maybe I would agree to that, but it's simply not what happened. It wasn't a majority; it was some members. So let's not try to change the document. Let's not try to change what happened. Let's let the media and the public see what actually went on in the hearings without adding things that weren't in there. It's just a reflection of your concern. The public will see that the outcome of these hearings was preordained over a week ago, and it's a facade the coalition has created.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you, Mr. Young.

Madame DeBellefeuille.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

We could perhaps suggest a compromise to wrap up this semantic debate.

In paragraph 28, instead of writing “Les membres du Comité” or “La majorité des membres”, what if we wrote “Des membres du Comité”?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I see nods on that, but let's finish the speakers list. I think that's a good compromise.

Mr. McGuinty.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

I agree with Madame DeBellefeuille.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I think I heard Mr. Brison say he agreed too.

Mr. Godin, to finish the speakers list.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

For Mr. Young's information, the coalition has agreed.

Are you happy, Mr. Young?

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

The coalition is together.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

When the opposition votes with the government on certain issues, that's a coalition.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Okay.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Are you referring to line 4 at the top of page 9 in the English version?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

At the moment I believe we're talking about line 3 at the bottom of page 8, in 28, and also line 5, which starts with the word “members”. We're suggesting that in each case we would add the word “some”. In one case it would say that “some members found it difficult” and in the other one, we would start the sentence with “Some members”.

Is that correct?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Chair, the difference in French to English....

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Yes.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

In French it says les membres du Comité, meaning all members of the committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Right.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

In English it already says “members”.