Evidence of meeting #18 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was estimates.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Candice Bergen
It's the officials we'll be inviting; that's correct.
Mr. Komarnicki.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
And of course we will ask that when a question is asked the witnesses be given a reasonable opportunity to respond.
May 31st, 2010 / 3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
With all due respect, Madam Chair, I don't think you can prescribe to the members around the table how they ask their questions.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
I wasn't quite finished. I still have the floor.
I think it's only fair—
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Candice Bergen
I'm sorry. Let's just... Madam Minna had the floor.
If she has finished, then did you want the floor?
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
I thought I had the floor. Then I didn't have it.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
The point I'm making is that there is a lot of latitude, of course, in members making comments or asking questions, and that's fair. But when we have the minister here and departmental officials and we ask some pointed, specific questions, we should give them a reasonable opportunity to answer. I'm not saying you have to give them equal time, but just a reasonable opportunity to answer. I think that's only fair.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC
I am really pleased that Mr. Komarnicki has raised this issue, for the second time by the way. It is quite appropriate, Madam Chair, for the following reason. I know why he did so. Last time, I used most of my time to put a question to the witnesses, and I did that deliberately. I do not usually do that but I will explain why I did so then. I believe we will have to come to another agreement. Sometimes, when we put a question to a minister or someone else, that person takes a lot of time to answer just to waste our time. Even though the question may have been quite direct, we are then forced to ask supplementaries. Sometimes, we also have to add comments in order to explain the context.
If the parliamentary secretary agrees, we could establish clear rules about this. I believe we all work hard to prepare our questions in order to get clear answers from the witnesses, but we rarely do. If we are in agreement on this, I can assure you that my questions will be short, and there will be many of them if the answers are short also. I understand that answers sometimes have to be more detailed, and that is understandable. But, sometimes, we are only looking for yes or no.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON
I'm actually encouraged by Mr. Lessard here, that he understands that asking a shorter question will allow more questions to be answered. Hopefully, when he comes in for the department he'll have some brief questions that are short in nature and under five minutes per question, and then he can get more than one question answered. If they rag the puck, then you'll be able to cut them off to let him ask his next question. I think that's only fair.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
Each of us here agrees—we've all agreed—that there be a certain number of minutes that are allotted to us. What we do with them is our own problem. If you want to talk for the five or the seven minutes, there's nothing left to answer; that's our problem.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
I'm not addressing this to anyone in particular. I'm just saying that's what it is. We agreed to it. It was a general agreement.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Candice Bergen
It's actually in the rules. It's according to the rule book. Unless there is another motion presented, and a motion that this committee agrees to, you're correct.
I would hope that members would ask questions that could be answered, but ultimately, unless the committee decides otherwise, the members are allowed to use their time as they deem they would like to.
Mr. Komarnicki.
