Evidence of meeting #7 for Natural Resources in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Actually, I do want to make a comment on that.
It has been a long-standing—
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
The thing is, as I started to say before I was interrupted again by Mr. Julian, that when a minister is before a committee, there is leeway for committee members to ask any question that relates to the minister's duties. We do not limit the questions to the topic that we're actually dealing with according to the agenda of the day. That's been the case in the 20 years I've been involved with committees, and I'm not going to interfere. But in my judgment it certainly does detract from the benefits. We're here to study supplementary estimates (B). No doubt if people focused on the supplementary estimates (B) we'd end up learning a lot more about the supplementary estimates (B).
Mr. Regan, go ahead, please.
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Liberal
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Conservative
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
—in view of the fact that I was trying to but of course I was interrupted by a point of order.
So if I could just repeat the question to be sure that you understand it and that everyone here has an opportunity to hear it—
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Joe Oliver Conservative Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
I did actually understand it. May I answer the question?
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
—I will repeat the question to make it clear. That's right; I was interrupted.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
I don't know if he was finished with the question, Minister. I really hadn't heard the end of it. He was interrupted by a point of order that Ms. Block brought forward.
Go ahead, please, Mr. Regan.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
As I was saying, were you aware that Mr. Woodcock had been involved in the whitewash of a Senate report, and do you think that natural resources files have been affected by the bombshell RCMP court filings naming Mr. Woodcock?
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Joe Oliver Conservative Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
I reject your characterization and I won't discuss the legal implications of it outside the House. But I will say that the RCMP documents make it clear who is under investigation: Mike Duffy and Nigel Wright. Senators have said that the internal economy committee reached its conclusions based on the report from an independent external auditor.
I think that's all that has to be said on that subject, because I'm here to discuss the natural resources estimates.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Given that the RCMP believe that Mr. Woodcock (a) personally knew that Nigel Wright was providing $90,000 to Senator Duffy; (b) participated in the whitewash of a Senate report; and (c) participated in the cover-up of the scheme, do you still have confidence in Mr. Woodcock to effectively perform his duties as your chief of staff at Natural Resources?
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Joe Oliver Conservative Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
I'm not going to start speculating based on newspaper articles of what—
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Liberal
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Conservative
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Conservative
Joe Oliver Conservative Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
This is not related in any way to the estimates and, frankly, I think your questions are appalling.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Are you or anyone in your office taking any measures to monitor the actions of Mr. Woodcock to ensure he operates in an ethical and legal manner?
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Joe Oliver Conservative Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
I don't question the conduct of my chief of staff. He brings with him a wealth of experience from across the government.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Minister, your estimates talk about funding for Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.I have heard two things from physicians who are specialists in nuclear medicine in Halifax. One is that this physician and others across the country are very concerned that when the NRU shuts down there will be several years when basically the world will be on a knife's edge, and we could very easily be in a situation of shortage of isotopes for nuclear medicine.
I understand as well that your department decided that no organization east of Quebec ought to be involved in research in terms of cyclotrons and the development of isotopes during this period. Why would that be the case?
