Canadian Heritage Committee on Sept. 27th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Ms. Thomas, would you like to speak the motion now?

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Can I raise a point of order then?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Yes, certainly. It's a point of order, Mr. Housefather.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I'm sorry, Ms. Thomas.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

No, it's okay. Point of order takes precedence.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I just want to ask, Madam Chair, for you to rule on whether or not this motion is receivable, given that I believe the committee rejected an identical motion at a previous meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

That's a very important point of order, Mr. Housefather.

Indeed, if I recall, the committee did reject asking the Minister of Canadian Heritage to come to present on this particular topic.

I could move this motion out of order, Kevin, because it has been voted on and dismissed by this committee. I would like to suggest that we do not move this motion forward again because it's been dealt with.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

I have a point of order, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Yes, Mr. Nater.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

First of all, I think you're referring to something that was done in camera. I think it's inappropriate for this committee to disclose what's done in camera. I would offer that as a caution at this point.

Since you're chair of this committee, I find it troubling that you're now disclosing what may or may not have happened in an in camera session. On that matter, I think Mr. Waugh's motion is entirely within order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I'm going to ask the clerk here to rule on this. It's very unusual.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Point of order, Madam Chair.

The clerk doesn't rule; the chair rules.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I know. It's to give me advice. I'm sorry, Mr. Nater.

I'm told that there is merit in your argument, Mr. Nater, so we will now continue to discuss this motion. Thank you.

Mr. Housefather, your question has been answered.

Ms. Thomas, I think you have the floor.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

I want to take a moment to speak to this motion because I do believe that it is very important. Essentially, what the motion is requesting is that Minister Rodriguez, the Heritage minister, come forward to committee and that he grace us with a bit of time in order to discuss the Hockey Canada motion that is currently being undertaken.

That is, of course, what we're discussing. For the benefit of anybody watching this committee or tuning in to it, we are discussing Hockey Canada and its use of funds. Particularly, we want to look at its use of public dollars, dollars that came from taxpayers, went to the Heritage department and then were divvied out.

In order to....

This is not what we're talking about.

Oh, oh!

You are fantastically gracious.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I was just about to say that it is about the Community Media Advocacy Centre.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Yes, that's exactly what we're talking about.

I apologize; I am trying to balance multiple things here. Let me begin again.

We are not asking the minister to come with regard to Hockey Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

On a point of order, yes, Mr. Julian.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

We have been through these filibusters before, Madam Chair. I really have to question relevance when we have members who are not even speaking to the issue.

We just cut off witnesses who I had important questions for, particularly the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association, which seems to deviate heavily from the Conservative line, yet we've had that cut off. Now we have a filibuster on a subject where members are speaking not even to the motion.

I do question the relevance. I would like you to rule on that, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

All right. I agree with you that Mrs. Thomas's original statements were not at all relevant to the motion. Therefore, perhaps we will move on to Mr. Housefather. His name is up to speak.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Chair, I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Yes, Mrs. Thomas.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Thank you.

Madam Chair, let's be reasonable here. I caught myself. Obviously, I recognize that I was off. That was not done purposefully, so for Mr. Julian to jump in and try to score political points is rather inappropriate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Would you like to continue speaking to the motion?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Chair, I would ask for permission to take the floor and speak to the motion at hand.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I just said you could do that, Mrs. Thomas.