Evidence of meeting #52 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 information.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Right: “extracted what was necessary to maintain cabinet confidences”. I understand what you're saying.
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
We extracted the information that would still allow cabinet confidences and gave the rest to the finance committee.
So we have to “de-insert” the word “not”.
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Okay: de-insert the word “not” and change “parliamentary secretary” to “Minister of State”.
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
I was hoping I would hear that.
In French, apparently it does say Minister of State.
Is the word “not”...or is it written in the negative there?
March 21st, 2011 / 11:05 a.m.
Committee Researcher
That's correct, Mr. Chair.
First, Mr. Menzies's title is in the right place. In paragraph 33, in the fourth line from the bottom, where it says “la divulgation ne risquait pas”, we would have to take out the negation.
11:05 a.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Take out the words “ne” and “pas”.
“ Il a précisé, à cet égard, que le gouvernement avait même extrait de documents confidentiels du Cabinet des passages dont la divulgation risquait de porter atteinte ...”. Okay.
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
I guess you can read this either way. If you're suggesting the government extracted the information that excluded cabinet confidence, it reads right. The other way is if you....
Monsieur Godin.
11:05 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
That's right, Mr. Chair. If we read it that way, with the words removed, “cela ne portait pas atteinte”...
11:05 a.m.
Bloc
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
I can see how it reads both ways.
Which way do we want it to read, without being wordsmiths too much?
Madame DeBellefeuille.
11:05 a.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
My understanding from the French version is that the Minister of State “ a précisé ... que le gouvernement avait même extrait de documents confidentiels du Cabinet des passages dont la divulgation ne risquait pas de porter atteinte au secret du Cabinet”. If you take out “ne” and “pas”, that ruins the whole meaning.
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Right.
I think even in English it could be read the way you just read it in French. I think it leaves itself open to interpretation.
I'll ask the analysts to speak to this.
11:05 a.m.
Committee Researcher
Yes, I'm sorry, you are absolutely right. The negative form has to stay.
11:05 a.m.
Bloc
11:05 a.m.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
I'm just wondering, in the English version, Mr. Chair, if we did exclude the “not” and then added the words “in order to maintain” it might just clarify that fuzzy language. I would like the analysts to respond to that.
