Evidence of meeting #5 for Public Safety and National Security in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was skills.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON
Thank you.
I think it's really sad that this whole process is degenerating. We have witnesses and there are people here who have come to deal with the issue, the problem, and the situation. It would be no different right now if I were to just go ahead and say, “Let's talk about Café Henry Burger and the $40 million--”
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Holland
Order, please. You will have an opportunity in five minutes to ask about the relative importance of any program relative to any other program, or any expenditure over any other. I will uphold that right for you, as I would for any other member.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Holland
I would caution members that when they ask questions they know to be rhetorical, it will not necessarily be the most productive use of their time—
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Holland
—but that is an opportunity for a member to ask that question.
I am not going to censor a member's ability to ask a question. So if you should choose in the round that immediately follows this one to ask a question in the same vein, you are certainly entitled to do so.
Mr. Kania.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Andrew Kania Liberal Brampton West, ON
Just so that we're clear, we're in an economic recession. There's only so much money, and I understand that. We all understand that. So I'm looking at reorientating this in terms of priorities for the people of Canada, including Corrections.
My thought is that there was a recent announcement that they would increase the budget for advertising Canada's economic action plan by $5 million, and you've indicted that it would cost less than $5 million per year in order to keep these prison farms going. My simple question is, do you not think it would be better in terms of public safety, rehabilitation, helping the inmates, and helping the people of Canada to take that $4 million to $5 million and divert it from further spending on advertising Canada's economic action plan and instead use it to keep the prison farms going? That's my question.
5:20 p.m.
Regional Deputy Commissioner of Ontario, Correctional Service Canada
It's not my determination to make a comment on the prioritizations that are decided on government priorities; that's for Parliament.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Holland
I apologize. It's Mrs. Glover first. You'll be splitting your time with Mr. Kramp, I understand.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just want to ask a couple of quick questions.
Do you think the $40 million that was lost in the sponsorship scandal under the Liberal government might have perhaps been useful in producing some programs that would have been of benefit in allowing these offenders to seek jobs, or even the $25 billion in health care cuts made by the previous Liberal government in the mid-1990s, or maybe even the cuts to the CBC that were made? Do you think those amounts of money made by this previous Liberal government might have helped to develop programs for offenders to rehabilitate and become productive individuals who would not reoffend?
5:20 p.m.
Regional Deputy Commissioner of Ontario, Correctional Service Canada
Again, it's not my determination to determine how government sets their priorities.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
I understand that, sir, but those amounts of money are huge of amounts of money that the taxpayers unfortunately lost. In particular, there's the sponsorship scandal; we have yet to recoup taxpayers' money on that blatant misuse--I would call it theft--of taxpayers' money. I don't see anyone clapping in this room today, but these are all taxpayers sitting here--
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.
I would say that the $56 billion deficit of this government is a theft from my grandchildren.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Holland
Order.
Again, on the matter of the point of order, I have instructed members that I do not think it is constructive to pose rhetorical questions that you know the witnesses cannot respond to. You are free to ask those questions. I cannot restrain members from asking questions. Others will make judgments on the validity of the questions that members pose. It is not the position of the chair to do so, but I would ask members to consider the efficacy of asking rhetorical questions of the witnesses who have kindly taken time out of their schedules to be with us here today.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
I just want to finish before I pass my time over. It's Mr. Easter who actually cut this program in half--
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Mr. Chairman, on behalf of all of my colleagues around the table, I would like to apologize to the witnesses. What is going on right now is absurd. The witnesses should not be subjected to this. I would like to see a minimum of decorum, Mr. Chairman, out of respect for our witnesses and for the other people in attendance.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Holland
Thank you for your comments.
I would ask you, please, to think before putting your questions. If the question is rhetorical, the witness will obviously not be able to answer. It is not a good use of time, but it remains the prerogative of all committee members. I am not here to manage committee members' questions; it is their choice. But please, I ask members to think before putting their questions.
Madam Glover, you have the floor.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative