Evidence of meeting #38 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Noon
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
I have to make sure that's in order.
I'm being told that's a document section. Find a better place to put the time.
Noon
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Fine, a new (a), new (b), new (c). I seek some advice. Apparently my motion is in order; it just needs to go in the right place. Can I seek some assistance from the clerk for advice as to where that might be?
Noon
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Okay, great, Chair, then that's where I'll put my amendment.
Noon
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Chairperson, I did ask Mr. Christopherson if this is what Mr. Mulcair's desire was, just one hour. His response was that this was more his personal opinion and based on his experience with ministers who come before the committee.
I do want to suggest that, given the nature of it coming out of the House, we do have a number of questions that we as the Liberal Party would like to be able to ask. We're quite comfortable with not having it limited to the one hour. Given Mr. Mulcair's willingness to come before the committee, and there's no clear indication from him that he just wants one hour, I think we should just stick with the...until the questions have been answered.
12:05 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
I am very surprised, Mr. Chair, but we have always had a respect for parliamentary institutions here, and sometimes we agree or disagree on things, but there's certain pretty fundamental issues that we've never questioned. One is the minister's availability.
I have never, in the 10 years that I have been here, seen even a minority Parliament committee, where most of the members are not from the ministerial side, insist that they are not going to give the normal courtesy of the one-hour appearance. It just never happens. When a minister appears before a committee, there has always been on all sides—and even at the time when the Bloc was an official party here—I'd say among all the recognized parties, there has always been—
12:05 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Well, up until this moment there has always been respect, and you respect the minister's schedule. To suggest, as you have, Mr. Chair, that somehow it's an open-ended appearance—12 hours, 15 hours—because, Mr. Chair, you just said until everybody has finished questioning, I mean, that is absurd, absolutely absurd.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
12:05 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
It's an absurd notion, Mr. Chair.
I found you to be a fair chair. I don't find your comments around this particularly fair and I find it absurd to say this is some kind of kangaroo court that continues on forever.
The reality is, in the same way that a minister appearing before a committee has availability issues that have always been respected by all parties, Mr. Mulcair has availability issues. To be here for an hour, certainly; there's no doubt about that. An open-ended appearance, I think, Mr. Chair, quite frankly, anyone would see through that as a kangaroo court set-up. It is completely inappropriate.
Mr. Chair, what we have is a kangaroo court appearance that the Conservatives seem to be putting into place. It's completely inappropriate.
I'll seek direction through you, Mr. Chair, to the clerk. I'm not even sure that it is even appropriate. If you're saying open-ended.... If we're saying an hour, I think there's availability there, no doubt. In fact, I know as Mr. Christopherson offered the amendment and we all voted for it, that Thursday, May 15, is available.
There's question period to prepare for. The leader of the official opposition has other responsibilities. I'd suggest, through you, first to the clerk, that to have a motion like Mr. Christopherson's is completely in order. Second, to my other colleagues around the table, I don't think it's a winning strategy to say, “We're going to do a witch hunt and we're going to bring our pitchforks and torches,” and not extend the normal courtesies that all parties always extended to all ministers, whether Liberal or Conservative, in the past at all times. This is a huge change and it would be very unfortunate.
12:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Thank you, Mr. Julian.
I have no other speakers on the list.
The motion is in order. As the chair, I'm always open to the committee making its own decisions rather than the chair making them. The vote is on the one hour that Mr. Christopherson has proposed.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
It's a recorded vote.
(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 3)
That's defeated.
As the motion now reads, Mr. Mulcair will be invited to the meeting of Thursday, May 15.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
It's a recorded vote on the motion as amended.
(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 6; nays 3)
That carries and so we're all set for May 15. We can ask the House to prepare the documents that have been asked for by committee.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Chair, in terms of receiving the documents, are they going to be sent by e-mail? With these whole new iPad requirements, I'm not perfectly clear.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
I'm somewhat paperless now, but do I have to come back in on the Friday in order to download it onto my iPad? How do I get that information?
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
If it's suggested by the 9th, I would suggest the first of the week is when it will be sent to all members. As soon as we're all done but no later than accumulated by the 9th.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
There'll be a package going out to the members. What do you think?
That's the suggestion. A package will go out to you. It may go out electronically or it may come to your office.