Public Accounts Committee on Feb. 20th, 2024

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple of very brief points.

Number one, I'm sorry to see what very much appears to be delay tactics from the Liberals. They don't want to hear from the Auditor General, and they don't want to allow us to ask questions of the Public Health Agency of Canada. That's why they're moving this motion in the middle of when we should be questioning witnesses.

I'd like us to get back to questioning witnesses. Although a lot of things have been said by people in other parties that I don't think are accurate, we're ready to pass this motion and get it done. Having had a couple of minutes to look over it, there's nothing objectionable in getting this information.

I will just flag, of course, that 2015 was when GC Strategies was incorporated as a company. That's very clear.

If there's agreement of the committee now to pass this by unanimous consent, let's do that and get back to work.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

I'm seeing a few heads nod. I see some.

I believe Ms. Sinclair‑Desgagné would like to say something.

Go ahead, please.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I will also proceed quite quickly. I think we agree with the substance of the motion.

However, I would like to propose two amendments. I don't understand the choice of January 1, 2012. Some contracts with the two owners of GC Strategies go back as far as 2007.

I think we should simply extend the period and go back to the foundation or creation of their companies. That's the first amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

I would like you to specify a date, please.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

I would like it to be since the businesses were created.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Mr. Scheer had a point of order and held off.

I'll hear from you, Mr. Scheer.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

In the copy of the motion that was distributed to members, there's a discrepancy between the English and the French. The English doesn't have a start date.

I believe my Bloc colleague is trying to amend the start date. If we go by the English motion, then I don't think the amendment is necessary.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Thank you very much.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

If we remove the date, that's fine with me. Obviously, I wanted to amend the French version.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Okay. Is it removing “depuis le 1^er janvier 2012”?

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Yes. Then I would like to—

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Hold on a second.

I'm just going to check with Ms. Khalid here because it's her motion.

Ms. Khalid, the wording is different. Are you agreeable to removing, in French, “since January 1, 2012”?

Could we strike that? I need to bring the motion into alignment.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I think that should be okay, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Thank you very much.

I'm going to consider that. I don't see any objections.

Ms. Sinclair‑Desgagné, what is your second amendment?

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

One of the reasons why, after two months, we've had no response to our motion of December 12 is that there was no deadline for providing these documents. I would therefore like us to add a date, so that the government can sense the urgency of providing us with these documents in a reasonable time.

If I may, I would like to add, “and that the documents be received within two weeks of the adoption of this motion”.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

So it would be two weeks.

That amendment is certainly well within order. I'm actually meeting with the clerk and the analyst later this week. I just want to clarify. We have been receiving documents from the Government of Canada. They're in the process of being catalogued to ensure they're in both languages as well and they're in a format to be distributed to members. I expect some of that to come in the days and weeks ahead.

Ms. Khalid, I think you indicated you would like to speak to the amendment to your motion, which is to put a two-week timeline on this return for documents.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

My understanding is that we have the documents for February 2 from public safety. I'm just wondering if we can ask for 30 days rather than putting a February 2 timeline on it.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

I'm sorry. You mentioned another committee. What's the relevance of that committee?

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

No, sorry, we had asked for documents from public safety.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

I think it was from OGGO, government operations.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Okay. I would appreciate that, as we're trying to get documents in our committee, we give days instead of dates, if that makes sense.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Do you propose 30 days?

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I do, yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

Ms. Sinclair‑Desgagné, do you want to comment on the subamendment that proposes “30 days”?

I would point out to committee members that there are several break weeks over the next month. So perhaps “30 days”—

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

I accept “30 days”. I'm fine with that.