Evidence of meeting #13 for Afghanistan in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was report.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you, Madam Kwan.
I think Madam Kwan is talking about the information that we asked for about a week ago.
Madam Clerk, do you have anything to add in reference to the comments made by Madam Kwan? No. Okay, thank you.
Madam Kwan, as you know, we have a hard deadline of June 8. If we receive those documents by then, that's well and good, but after that we're not going to have the committee anymore. I hope that answers you.
Now the floor is back to Mr. Baker.
Mr.—
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Sorry, Mr. Chair, but I have one more question, just so that I understand the entire process as well.
The officials are not required to provide those undertakings to this committee, even though it impedes our ability to complete our report. From that perspective, would that be a violation of our privilege as committee members?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Madam Kwan, I will come back to you on your answers, because the point of order....
We're going into discussion. I gave you the floor to ask many questions out of your turn. I see Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe is shaking his head as well, because he is waiting for his turn to speak. I will get back to you on this one ASAP, Ms. Kwan.
Let me go to Mr. Baker.
Mr. Baker, please keep your discussion focused on the motion as amended.
Go ahead, please. The floor is yours.
Liberal
Yvan Baker Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
I will, Chair, and I think I was....
Before I continue with what I was saying, I want to explain why I think it's relevant. Mr. Ruff moved a motion that requested certain documents or certain reports—
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Ms. Kwan had a point of order, and she was finally able to speak.
I have been waiting my turn for three and a half years. Do I have to rise on a point of order to be able to comment? Is that how it works?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
No, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe. You know that I am not one of those chairs. I try to be as fair as possible, We have only two more meetings left at this committee. I just want to finish this committee.
I understand. You know that I understand. I already mentioned—
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Okay. It's great that you understand. You know that you are my favourite chair.
However, I hope that Mr. Baker will also understand that it has been a while—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, I already mentioned to Ms. Kwan that I saw you were shaking your head and you were waiting for your turn.
I would love to give you your turn, as long as Mr. Baker stops speaking. He can raise his hand again, and he can always come back. It's up to Mr. Baker, because the floor is his. I hope you understand.
Mr. Baker, see how you want to proceed.
The floor is yours. If you want to give it to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, it's up to you, and then you can always come back.
Mr. Baker, the floor is yours.
Liberal
Yvan Baker Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, I want to say something, and then in the spirit of collaboration, I'll stop speaking for the time being to allow Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe to jump in.
I think Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe knows, because we've served on the same committee over the past couple of years, that I have a lot to say from time to time. I have more to say on this topic. Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe also knows from about 20 minutes ago that I'm happy to offer my time so that he has a chance to say something.
Before I do that, I want to take this opportunity to explain why I think what I was saying is relevant. Mr. Ruff raised a point of order. I think it's important for the record and for my colleagues on the committee that they understand why I was speaking about what I was speaking about.
Mr. Ruff's motion requests certain reports. Ms. Damoff made an amendment suggesting that the deadline for that be amended or removed. Mr. Van Bynen suggested that perhaps the information that Mr. Ruff is seeking could be obtained from other sources. I was citing some information that is available in other sources as an example that could be provided to the analysts and that could perhaps address what Mr. Ruff was inquiring about. I was providing that information as an example.
That's why I was speaking to that.
I will now stop speaking and I will turn it over to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you very much, Mr. Baker, for your understanding and co-operation.
I'm very sorry, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe. I didn't mean to ignore you or any other member.
The floor is yours. Go ahead, please.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you.
As you know, Mr. Chair, I would never blame you. You are too nice.
We have worked together before in a few meetings, and I think we all know each other a little bit. Have you ever seen me filibuster before?
This is something else because—
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Never, right?
This is something else because the only parties I have seen filibuster over the past two and a half years are the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party.
We know very well how members will vote. We know that. It's already done. However, people are using House resources—taxpayers' money—and making House employees work overtime because they don't want us to vote right away. Yet we already know full well how members will vote.
Members are filibustering right now. You will never see me filibuster like this, Mr. Chair, because I respect institutions, House employees, as well as taxpayers who pay our salaries and the salaries of all House employees, and pay for House resources.
We are seeing filibustering done with the goal of not having to vote, when we already all know how members will vote. I ask that we proceed with the vote. I ask that members respect taxpayers instead of wasting time and money—taxpayers' money.
I ask that we proceed with the vote right away.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you very much, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe. I do commend your professionalism and your co-operation all the time. You have never been an issue or a troublemaker on the committee. I have very high regard for you.
With that, I will go to Madam Damoff.
Please go ahead. The floor is yours.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Thank you, Chair.
I'm going to speak to my amendment. I just want to make sure that everyone is aware that I do respect this institution. I do respect the taxpayers who send us here. I also respect the integrity of this study and the testimony we heard from dozens of witnesses, much of it heartfelt.
I don't think I'm speaking out of turn by saying that all of us were deeply disturbed and touched by the testimony we heard. We all want to get to a place where we have a report that will actually move us forward and will make recommendations to the government on issues of humanitarian aid and on how we can do better when it comes to immigration.
I 100% want us to be able to present this report to Parliament. We have to present a report to Parliament. I don't want this committee to be bound by departments like the Privy Council Office, Global Affairs Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces and any other government department that may not provide the reports that Mr. Ruff is seeking on the evacuation in August 2021. It was a horrific thing to watch, but I think we all agreed, when we started this study, that what we wanted to do was honour the witnesses we heard from and make recommendations so that this didn't happen again.
The reason I put forward the amendment was so that, if we can get this information in time, all the better, but if we don't, we are not bound by this. We can still honour the testimony that we heard. We can honour the witnesses that we heard. We can actually make a difference for those who are living in Afghanistan and for those who want to flee.
I have a constituent whose brother is still in Afghanistan. I speak to him on a regular basis, as he is trying to get his brother out. His brother helped the Taliban. It's personal for me. But there are even the witnesses we heard from today about the LGBTQ people who are living there whose lives are in danger. We want to make sure we're presenting the best report we can to Parliament.
I did put my amendment forward in a show of good faith, honouring what Mr. Ruff wants to do while also honouring and respecting the integrity of our study and being able to present it on time.
Thank you, Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you very much.
We'll go to Mr. Baker and then Mr. Ruff.
Mr. Baker, the floor is yours—unless you want Mr. Ruff to go before you.
Liberal
Yvan Baker Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
Sure. If Mr. Ruff wants to go ahead, I'm comfortable with that, if I can go after him. I'll just keep my hand raised.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
I could call a vote on the adjournment.
Madam Clerk, could you please call the vote on Mr. Ruff's motion to adjourn?
(Motion agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0)
Thank you very much. I appreciate all of the members.
I also want to thank the analysts, the clerk, particularly the interpreters with my heavy accent, and also the support staff for staying overtime to accommodate us. I do really appreciate them from the bottom of my heart for the great effort the support staff, the clerk, the analysts, the interpreters and the translators have put in.
I wish you the very best. Enjoy the long weekend. We'll come back next week.
The meeting is adjourned.
