Evidence of meeting #32 for Public Accounts in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was contract.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
Okay, that wraps up the meeting for today.
Before we adjourn we'll be hearing from Mr. Laforest, but maybe we'll just give these folks a minute.
Mr. Bennett, did you have a comment?
5:40 p.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions, Public Works and Government Services Canada
Mr. Chair, the committee should be aware that Mr. Marshall will be out of the country continuing his medical leave next week, so in terms of the meeting scheduled for Tuesday—
5:40 p.m.
Conservative
5:40 p.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions, Public Works and Government Services Canada
I'm not sure.
5:45 p.m.
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions, Public Works and Government Services Canada
I would think he would be expected back the week after next, all things equal.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
Okay, perhaps you could raise your point of order, Mr. Laforest.
5:45 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
If Mr. Marshall is ill, we cannot do anything about that. However, we can still pass a motion to have the Deputy Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada appear before the committee when he is available.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Marshall has appeared before this committee on a number of occasions. I think back to the sponsorship scandal, when Public Works was under a dark cloud and he was extremely forthcoming and helpful to the committee. It's unfortunate that his health is not good at the moment, but I would ask that we defer the motion, Mr. Chairman, because Mr. Marshall has always come to the committee whenever he has been invited to come to the committee, and I would expect that it would be the same again this time.
Therefore I would ask that we not do a formal motion on it and that we act to defer...so that when we extend an invitation to him, I'm quite sure he will appear.
5:45 p.m.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
That remains in the realm of an invitation, as opposed to a command performance sort of thing. Okay.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
That's right, it's an invitation, as we normally extend to all other witnesses who come before this committee. I'm quite sure when his health allows him to come before this committee, Mr. Marshall will be quite willing to come, even though he may have difficult questions. He knows that, but he's always been able and willing to come in the past. So I would ask if the mover would be prepared to just leave the motion on the table at this time.
5:45 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Williams is talking about his experience based on past situations. Personally, I do not see any objection to this. The reason I introduced the motion was that we had passed a motion to invite the other witnesses. However, given that all members of the committee are acting in good faith, I am willing to defer my motion. We may not need to propose it again, but we could invite him to come as soon as he is available.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
Thank you very much, Mr. Laforest.
I think we are all in agreement that we hope everything works out well for Deputy Minister Marshall.
Thank you very much, witnesses, and for many of you, we'll be seeing you again.
The meeting is adjourned.