Canadian Heritage Committee on May 8th, 2014

[The Chair (Mr. Gordon Brown (Leeds—Grenville, CPC)), Conservative, Gord Brown]

Good morning everyone. I call to order the 22nd meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. We are currently conducting a study on the Canadian music industry. Today we have a number of individuals who will be presenting. Jim Vallance is with us, as well as Paul Hoffert.

Because of the voting situation today, I will quickly outline what I'm planning to do—hopefully, everyone will be in agreement. First, we will hear from our two witnesses for eight minutes each.

I'm anticipating that the bells will start some time around 11:20, and that will give us two or three minutes for the first questioner. We should have a vote around 11:50 and, hopefully, it will be over by 12 o'clock. I'd appreciate it if members could hurry back so we that can start again by about 12:10 and finish up whatever few minutes we have left with the government member, and then have the opposition members each have their rounds of questioning, and then move to the second panel.

I'm hoping that everybody will be in agreement with this plan, as long as the timing works. Hopefully, it will.

Mr. Nantel.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

I think it's the right thing to do under the circumstances.

I would like to move the motion I gave notice of during the last meeting. It reads as follows:

That the committee invite the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and the president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Hubert T. Lacroix, for a two (2) hour televised meeting on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and that this meeting take place no later than Thursday, June 12, 2014.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Mr. Clarke.

[Rob Clarke, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

I move that we move this meeting in camera, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

I'm going to ask if we could all work together here because we have very limited time for our witnesses. Could we deal with this a little later in the meeting, because we are going to have bells? I know, Mr. Nantel, that you want to deal with this.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

It's an emergency.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Okay, but if we can deal with it in this meeting, would you be okay with that?

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

I would like to address it now. If we have to go in camera I would like to have a nominal vote, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Mr. Clarke, you can't move the motion on a point of order.

Mr. Nantel's motion has been moved so we're going to have to start debate on it.

Mr. Nantel.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

I would, of course, like to explain my request and demonstrate its validity.

The people who are here to talk about music understand very well what we are talking about when we discuss the CBC. They will understand very well that it is relevant to talk about it. I would like us to be able to discuss it and vote on this motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Is there any further discussion?

Mr. Dreeshen.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Thank you very much.

I suppose one of the things that we have to recognize is that the minister is going to be appearing. It is an opportunity for you to address questions to her, and so on. However, hearing what Pierre has submitted, I think it is an issue that we should be discussing as a point of business in camera.

That's all I wanted to add.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Mr. Clarke.

[Rob Clarke, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

I move that we go in camera on this, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

All right. We have a motion before us to go in camera. Is there any discussion?

Mr. Dion.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

I don't understand why we need to go in camera and why it shouldn't stay public. I publicly support this motion. I don't see any problem with it, and I don't understand why we need to hide that from Canadians at a time when we need to have a public debate on it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Okay.

Mr. Clarke, you're withdrawing your motion to go in camera and you just want to move to a vote?

[Rob Clarke, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Yes, move to the vote.

(Motion withdrawn)

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

All in favour of this motion for—

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Can I have a recorded vote, please?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

All right.

We'll proceed with the vote.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mrs. Emma-Leigh Boucher]

We're just trying to take attendance here.

Mr. Boughen.

[Ray Boughen, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

What are we voting on?

[The Clerk]

To go in camera.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

No, no. We're voting on the motion. The motion to go in camera was withdrawn and we're voting on Mr. Nantel's motion.

A point of order.