Bill C-2 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) Committee on May 9th, 2006

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

I call the meeting to order.

This is the Legislative Committee on Bill C-2, meeting number three. We are studying An Act providing for conflict of interest rules, restrictions on election financing and measures respecting administrative transparency, oversight and accountability.

We have some guests this morning. However, before we do that, I'd like to give the report of the subcommittee that met yesterday, since we are, in that report, talking about some procedural matters. You should have it before you. I'll read it and then I'll ask for a motion.

This is the first report of the subcommittee on agenda and procedure:

The Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Legislative Committee on Bill C-2 has the honour to present its first report.

Your Subcommittee met on Monday, May 8, 2006, to consider the business of the committee and agreed unanimously to make the following recommendations:

1. It was agreed, — That the Committee authorize the Clerk to contact witnesses and attempt to find groupings that reflect the overall desire of each party, and that each grouping be focused by subjects to the extent possible;

2. It was agreed, — That the final time limit for the submission of witness list and for witness requests to appear expires at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, 2006, after which witnesses may be invited to submit a brief in writing;

3. It was agreed, — That, whenever possible, all Committee meetings for the purpose of hearing witnesses be televised;

4. Pursuant to the motion of the Committee on May 3, 2006, the following motions have been referred to the Committee for its consideration:

That each witness or group of witnesses have a total of 10 minutes in which to make an opening statement;

That the limit on speaking times for Committee members be limited to 5 minutes, with the exception of the questioning of witnesses.

An error was pointed out to me. On item number 2, I said May 10; it should be May 9, which is today. To be clear on what the subcommittee recommended, it was that the time limit for the submission of the witness lists and requests expire today at 5 p.m.

I'm open for discussion and a motion.

Mr. Sauvageau.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Chairman, Ms. Jennings has just pointed out to me that there is a problem with the translation. The English version of the text speaks of the subcommittee having made a unanimous recommendation, yet the French version makes no mention of unanimity.

Was it only the English-speaking members of the committee who were in unanimous agreement, or was it the subcommittee as a whole?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

You're referring to item number 1. Is that what you're referring to?

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Chairman, the paragraph preceding Item N^o 1 states the following:

“Your Subcommittee”--our subcommittee--“met on Monday, May 8, 2006, to consider business”--

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

You're right.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

--“and agreed unanimously”--

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

You're right. We'll change that.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

You are going to change it? Thank you very much. I can see that we are going to get along famously.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

I don't know. Someone will have to change it when we make a motion. You have to have a motion to vote on this thing somewhere. Presumably, whoever makes the motion will fix that up.

I'm waiting for something to happen, ladies and gentlemen.

Mr. Sauvageau.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

I will table a motion to the effect that the English and French versions should be consistent with one another. But that is all I am moving.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Thank you.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Okay, let's have a chat about this report. Does someone have some comments or a motion?

Madame Jennings.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Yes, on point 2, where it says: “It was agreed, — That the final time limit for the submission of witness list and for witness requests to appear expires at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, 2006 after which”--

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

I corrected that to May 9. It was a typing error, Madam Jennings, that's why I corrected it.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

But the correction in the date is not the issue. The issue is that it is being proposed that Tuesday, May 9, at 5 p.m. be the final deadline for any member of this committee to propose witnesses. I'm sorry, but I cannot agree with that.

I've never been on a committee where we put a deadline, because as our hearings go forward on legislation, many times it's almost invariable that members think of other people to whom we need to address an issue that no one had foreseen or thought about. So to simply exclude the possibility of continuing to propose witnesses as the hearings of this committee go on is wrong-headed. I don't think it's efficient or acceptable. We would be handcuffing ourselves.

When it was proposed, I understood that Tuesday, May 9, at 5 p.m. was the deadline for the different parties or members to propose the first series of witnesses, but there would continue to be the possibility of adding to those lists.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Mr. Tonks.

[Alan Tonks, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

I don't see anything here with respect to motions and the submission of motions. I'm just wondering whether that particular clause we're talking about was confused with motions, as opposed to witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Mr. Poilievre's correct. You can continue on.

Somehow we have to have some sort of procedure. Is anyone going to move this report? I presented the report, but it seems to me we either approve it or amend it, or we don't approve it. I have to have some sort of procedure.

Mr. Poilievre.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

I move the report.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

So there's a motion on the floor to adopt or approve the report.

Ms. Jennings, are you suggesting an amendment to paragraph 2?

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Yes, I am. It is that the time limit for the submission of and--

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair. I was next on the speaking list, and I don't know how the list got changed around. If she has an amendment, then she can do it when she actually gets to her turn on the speaking list.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

We'll get to you. She still has the floor.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Excuse me. Thank you, Chair.

I propose the following amendment to point 2 of this draft first report: “That the final time limit for the submission of a preliminary witness list and for witness requests to appear expires at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, 2006, after which witnesses may be invited to submit a brief in writing.”

In French, it would read as follows:

That the final time limit for the submission of the preliminary witness list and for witness requests to appear expire at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, 2006, after which witnesses may be invited to submit a brief in writing;

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Okay, we'll deal with this amendment.

Mr. Poilievre is next on the amendment.