Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 26th, 2013

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Mr. Scott, you have three minutes.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Great. Thank you.

Mr. Anderson, having heard from Mr. Komarnicki that he feels there was a predisposition on the part of the commission to create urban ridings, and he reiterated that just now, you used a couple of turns of phrase. I'm wondering if you want to stand by them or reconsider them.

He basically said that the commission “skilfully avoided the vast majority of the presentations”. After, Mr. Cullen asked you whether you agreed or not—

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

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I just want to be clear. Is it “He basically said”, or are you actually quoting?

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

I'm quoting. It's a quote.

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

You are quoting, so you basically say, “He exactly said”.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Perhaps you could add the time on, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I've stopped the clock. We'll go forward.

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

I appreciate that. I just want to make sure that you report things accurately. That's important.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Go ahead, Mr. Scott.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

It's an exact quote—“skilfully avoided the vast majority of the presentations”.

In response to Mr. Cullen on how political parties would fare, you agreed it should not matter, but then you said, “In this case, I'm not sure that was the case.”

Are you standing by those two comments?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Chair, as Mr. Komarnicki already read to you, the commission itself, in their report, wrote that:

A majority of those who appeared at the public hearings opposed the proposal. Their principal focus was on maintaining rural-urban hybrid districts and on speaking against the creation of exclusively urban ridings for Saskatoon and Regina. A significant minority of those appearing at the public hearings supported the Commission’s proposal.

There's an acknowledgment right there that they had not listened to the majority of the presentations they heard.

In response to your other one, I'll just read out what I read as a quote:

At the moment, it's 14 to nothing, which seems a bit one-sided and unfair and unrealistic.

That's a quote from this morning from Mr. Goodale. I think we heard—and perhaps this is his opinion because he's not successful politically in the province—that we need to make these changes. We don't agree with that. We think this system has been good for people. All three parties over the years have obviously benefited from this system without having to change it. Certainly, the people of Saskatchewan are capable of picking the people they choose and the parties they choose. They don't need to have a major change here in order to change that.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Anderson.

I hear your answer as confirming that you believe the commission was biased.

Do you know that the chair of the commission is a Superior Court justice appointed by the Chief Justice of Saskatchewan? Yes or no.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Chair, I never said the commission was biased. I think we need to make sure that's in the record here. If Mr. Scott wants to assume those kinds of things, he can.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

You just put it there.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

That's fine. I'm telling you how I interpret what you've said.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Do not speak across the table, folks.

Go ahead, Mr. Scott.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Are you aware that Mr. Mills is the Superior Court justice appointed by the Chief Justice of Saskatchewan?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

He was.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Are you aware that Professor Courtney was appointed by the Speaker, who happens also to be an MP from Saskatchewan—

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

I am.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

—and is a well-respected political scientist with knowledge in this field?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

All of these things?

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Yes.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Well, he was appointed by the Speaker.