Evidence of meeting #55 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 political.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
There are problems in 35. It's a correction we made in an earlier paragraph that Ms. Biggs had produced two samples of ministerial decision documents that had included the words “not” or “do not” as opposed to just one sample. That would require in the second last sentence, where it starts--
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
The analysts shared with me when we started the meeting today that they pluralized that...the word “and” to--
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
It's on the master. We couldn't change it until we got to it, but they recognized that the pluralization of yesterday's earlier clause would force this.
Could you read it, please?
12:50 p.m.
Committee Researcher
It reads:
...provided to the Committee two examples of decisions conveyed by the Minister to Ms. Biggs by adding a “do not” or “not” in the approval line.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Are there any further questions on paragraph 35?
(Paragraph 35 agreed to)
Great.
On paragraph 36, Mr. Young.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
Thank you, Chair.
On my copy it's on the next page, in the latter part of the paragraph. There are dates that I didn't see before and I hadn't memorized. It says:
On December 4, 2009, KAIROS received a letter dated December 3, stating that CIDA had made this decision for reasons of efficiency and in light of its priorities of food security, children and youth and economic development.
The next sentence then says, “The letter did not provide a specific explanation.”
Mr. Chair, the CIDA website lists its priorities clearly for anybody in the world to see. We discussed that the KAIROS website lists its priorities—clear, for anybody in the world to see—and anybody can see they are predominantly activist. There is “solidarity partners”, and I think they had “action partners”. But it's activism. There was no similar focus on food, security, children and youth.
Mrs. Corkery testified, and it was very strange; she said she didn't have an explanation. This is a pretty clear explanation. Their priorities are different—food, security, children and youth, and economic development. So why are we putting in a sentence that says, “The letter did not provide a specific explanation”?
That's not the evidence we saw; that is a specific explanation. I think that sentence should be removed.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
I have a motion that the last sentence be removed: “The letter did not provide a specific explanation.”
We'll vote on that motion.
Mr. Rae.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
Mr. Chairman, in the spirit of trying to find a solution, there's probably a better way of expressing that thought. You could say, “The letter did not provide a specific explanation as to how the KAIROS application did not meet these criteria.”
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Mr. Rae is suggesting a bit of an amendment to what you have suggested, Mr. Young.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
That would be a fair way of saying that it didn't...because it didn't relate specifically to the KAIROS application.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Terence Young Conservative Oakville, ON
We can say it like that, perhaps: the explanation didn't relate specifically to the KAIROS explanation.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Okay, good. I didn't want to cut you off before I moved on to someone else.
Mr. Albrecht, you're next.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Was that a motion that Mr. Young put forward? Or has he accepted the—
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
I'll say yes, he did. He's accepted the change that Mr. Rae has suggested.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Okay. That's where I'm confused. I'd like to know the wording.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative