Evidence of meeting #67 for Canadian Heritage in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was museums.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Moore
Well, at this point, we will suspend for a few minutes.
We will reconvene in five minutes.
NDP
Andrew Cash NDP Davenport, ON
Well, first, I'd like to say that we have been arguing to limit the use of in camera sessions since we got here in 2011. This is great news; finally, the government has listened to us in regard to transparency. That's fantastic. We have no problem with being open in all of these meetings in the future, and retroactively. So I'd like to move a friendly amendment that we release all of the transcripts for all the meetings that we've had in camera in this committee in the past, and that we in the future keep all of our meetings in public.
That's my friendly amendment to the motion.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Moore
We can deal with that. That's no problem, but Mr. Calandra's motion is—
NDP
Andrew Cash NDP Davenport, ON
This is a friendly amendment. I have to challenge you on this, Mr. Chair.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Moore
Mr. Cash, it's not a friendly amendment; it's not in order. It's a separate motion that you are free to make.
Are you done?
NDP
Andrew Cash NDP Davenport, ON
Well, maybe with your advice, Mr. Chair, because if this isn't deemed a friendly amendment, we have seen motions come before this committee, and members have introduced friendly amendments to them. With your advice and counsel, how does one extend the period of the release of the in camera transcripts? That's what I would like to do. I would like to say, yes, we agree with the spirit of this, and that we'd like to extend this spirit to all of the meetings we've had, and to the meetings we will have in the future.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Moore
That's very easily done. All you would need to do is to move a motion to that effect. What I'm saying is that you can't attach that to Mr. Calandra's motion. You could have your own motion. Right now we're dealing with Mr. Calandra's motion.
Mr. Calandra.
Conservative
Paul Calandra Conservative Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
Just to be clear, because I might have had the date wrong, it's the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, May 29.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Moore
That's Wednesday of last week.
Number one, I'm going to ask for the indulgence of our panel here. We're not going to keep you over time. We do have a bit of committee business that has come up.
Let's try to get to our panel as quickly as possible. Members of the committee, Mr. Calandra has asked for unanimous consent that the minutes of the in camera meeting of May 29 be made public. I will remind members that when we're discussing the motion we cannot discuss the contents of the meeting—and we all know that because it was in camera.
That's his motion.
Mr. Cash, on the motion.
NDP
Andrew Cash NDP Davenport, ON
Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to attempt a friendly amendment. I believe we had two meetings specific to this study, so I would like to move a friendly amendment that we include both the meetings in this motion.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Moore
Mr. Cash is moving a friendly amendment that would add the minutes of Monday, June 3.
Is there any discussion on the amendment?
Conservative
Paul Calandra Conservative Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
I know he needs unanimous consent to amend my motion. I'm not going to give unanimous consent to do that. I think the minutes of Wednesday, May 29, will speak for themselves, Mr. Chair, and I'm prepared to vote on that and release them to the public.
Sorry, I guess I'm not allowed to say, but the minutes will speak for themselves.
NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
Yes, we are not allowed to talk about what was discussed in those meetings. It is somewhat unfortunate. I don't understand why we really want to make public the minutes of one meeting but not of another that deals with the same topic. It is quite surprising for anyone listening. Why?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Moore
Mr. Nantel, we can do both. We can do as many as we want, but we're dealing now with the motion of Mr. Calandra that we release publicly the minutes of the in camera meeting of May 29.
Is there unanimous consent?
Mr. Cash.
NDP
Andrew Cash NDP Davenport, ON
Again, forgive me, Mr. Chair, for my lack of total understanding of the procedure, but could we have a vote on my friendly amendment, please?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Moore
We could have a vote, but it would still need unanimous consent. We could have a vote to add—
Conservative