Evidence of meeting #25 for Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was information.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
It is inadmissible from the chair.
NDP-18 proposes that.... Do you want me to go through it?
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
All right.
We'll move to clauses 162 and 163.
(Clauses 162 and 163 agreed to on division)
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I would like to move NDP amendment 18.1 on page 135.1 of the workbook, which reads:
163.1 The Act is amended by adding the following after section 72:
72.1 The head of a department or a ministry of state of the Government of Canada shall publish an annual report of all expenses incurred by his or her office and paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
I think it's self-evident what we're seeking to achieve. Is there a question?
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Now we'll go to clause 165.
Do you have a point of order, Mr. Poilievre?
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
I'm just wondering what the recording mechanisms are for keeping track of who voted how.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
We haven't had an awful lot of recorded votes in this place. So until there's a recorded vote, there are none.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Okay. We'll just have to use our collective memories.
Thank you.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
I do as I'm told here. If there's no request for....
(On clause 165)
We have an amendment on page 135.7. It is a New Democratic Party amendment and it's NDP-18.3.
Mr. Martin, go ahead.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Chairman, this is a comprehensive list.
I will move NDP-18.3. If it's in order, I will speak.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I think we're all seeking to clarify the extent of the work we're doing. So for certainty, in this schedule listed in clause 165, we seek to replace lines 21 to 39 on page 118 with the following lists. I don't need to read them all. The proposed clause reads:
Schedule 1 to the Act will be amended by striking out the following under the heading “OTHER GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS”:
Then it goes through a comprehensive list, ranging from the Atlantic Pilotage Authority to Telefilm Canada.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
When we passed the language about the definition of a government institution, it became unnecessary to list these specific institutions. They're captured under “government institutions” by the definition we adopted. Is that correct?
5:10 p.m.
Senior Counsel, Legal Services, Treasury Board Portfolio, Department of Justice
Yes, Mr. Chairman, that's correct. This is a list of parent crown corporations that are now, by definition, included under the act as government institutions.
From a technical perspective, once you include entities under a piece of legislation through definition, it's inappropriate to also reflect them in a schedule. The purpose of the schedule is simply to reflect those bodies that are subject to the legislation. The scheduling becomes redundant now that they're brought in through the definition.
5:10 p.m.
Bloc
Benoît Sauvageau Bloc Repentigny, QC
If I am not mistaken, we are saying that the schedule is unnecessary, because it is already provided for in... No more questions, Mr. Chair.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Any further debate?
We're going to vote on NDP-18.3.
Oh, am I going too quickly? I apologize.
I hate to interrupt your conversations, but I'm up here.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Mr. Chairman, I'm trying to gain some understanding of something from a colleague; I wasn't listening.
I apologize, Mr. Wild, because I do listen to what you have to say.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Thank you, Chair.
Is it my understanding that as a result of a previous amendment that was carried by a vote of this committee, all of these organizations no longer need to be listed under schedule I? That's correct?
I'm seeing head-nodding, but not from Mr. Wild.
5:10 p.m.
Senior Counsel, Legal Services, Treasury Board Portfolio, Department of Justice
I'm going to talk as opposed to nod.
Mr. Chairman, the definition of “government institution” captures all parent crown corporations. The list, under clause 165, that is being deleted is that of parent crown corporations currently under the Access to Information Act. All of these organizations are still subject to the Access to Information Act. They're just simply now brought in through the definition as opposed to the schedule.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
In the act itself rather than through the schedule.