Canadian Heritage Committee on Oct. 7th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Go ahead, Anthony.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

As somebody who represents the second-largest Jewish community in the country, I am horrified by what is happening. I just wanted to echo what Ms. Saks said, and since that was a valid point of order, this would be one too.

I am just so disheartened and so disappointed. I had real questions to ask on behalf of my community to those officials about their due diligence process. I am really, really disheartened.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Mr. Housefather.

All right. I think we are back to obviously Mrs. Thomas having the floor.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Chair, I will note for the committee and for public record that I have held the floor in this capacity, since moving my motion, for a total of 10 minutes of speaking time. However, since I moved my motion, 38 minutes have passed, which means that 30 minutes were taken up by colleagues speaking to various points of order that they raised and then used as filibuster opportunities.

As much as my colleagues would like to blame me for taking the majority of this time, it in fact has been others around the table. I simply wish to bring my motion to the floor, to move it and to speak to its importance. I will resume doing that now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Mrs. Thomas, you were asked to actually give the clerk your motion. Can you do that please, clearly, in English or in whatever language you choose?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

I move that the Minister of Canadian Heritage be invited to appear before the committee at the earliest date possible regarding the federal funding provided to the Community Media Advocacy Centre by the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you. Did everyone clearly get that? Did the clerk get it, most importantly?

[The Clerk]

Sorry, it is slightly different from what was sent to me. I do apologize, Mrs. Thomas, for trying your patience.

Could I just get you to read it one last time so I can confirm the final version?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Yes, absolutely.

It is that the Minister of Canadian Heritage be invited to appear before the committee at the earliest date possible regarding the federal funding provided to the Community Media Advocacy Centre by the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Do you have it, Clerk?

[The Clerk]

Yes, thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

Now Mrs. Thomas, you have the floor.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I think what we're discussing here today is, of course, the opportunity to bring the minister forward.

I share the many sentiments that were put forward by Mr. Housefather and by former MP Michael Levitt who tweeted this: “Looking back on events over the last [year] w/regards to Marouf affair, I'm utterly disheartened. Taking a stand against antisemitism should be a given and yet so few of my former Liberal colleagues have done so. This truly hurts. Jewish MPs shouldn't be left to call this out alone."

Having used his voice to bravely call for accountability, I commend that former member. I commend Mr. Housefather as well for the wise and brave words he spoke this past summer.

We have had Minister Hussen here, but Minister Rodriguez is the one that can answer to the funding that went to the CRTC.

We see here two things. We see a lack of judgment from the minister involving the funding that was given and we see a lack of accountability. Minister Rodriguez did not speak to this situation for nearly five weeks after it came to light. We have not had an opportunity to give Mr. Rodriguez the floor to give him the chance to use his voice to help us understand why that decision was made to remain silent on such an important matter.

We also have not given him the opportunity to help us understand the mechanisms in place to hold the CRTC to account with regard to where funding is allocated or to hold Mr. Marouf accountable with regard to having received funding, how it was used, and his conduct as an individual who was a recipient.

I think it has been made clear today that Minister Hussen does not take full responsibility. He very clearly has stated that. Rather, he shares it with Minister Rodriguez. For that reason again, the third, I would say there is great weight to the request to have Minister Rodriguez come here to this committee so we can ask him questions.

The motion I have before the committee is for the purpose of calling the current government to account, which is our role as opposition members. Further, it is also the role of this committee as a whole. This committee exists to put forward studies that are of interest to the Canadian public and this is certainly one of them.

For the benefit of Canadians, I believe it is worthwhile to take a few minutes of our time—60 minutes to be specific—

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

I have a point of order, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Go ahead, Michael.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you so much, Madam Chair.

About an hour ago, I requested the member speaking, MP Thomas, to be considerate in allowing me to ask the minister the final question, I believe it was, for that round.

This is not the first time the member has used this tactic to cut people off from asking questions. It's not the first time we've had officials, who are very busy people doing great work, come into a meeting to just sit there and not be asked any questions. This is not the first time it's happened.

I think it's important for people who are watching this who are really concerned about the rise of anti-Semitism and racism in this country to realize what's taking place here. We have a member of the Conservative party who has, for the last hour, held the floor for a motion, and, yes, people have intervened politely to try to ask the member to allow the motion to be voted on.

This is why people are so turned away from politics today. You know, anyone tuning in to see what's going in the House of Commons and this committee would be disgusted with the display of the tactics that are being used to not allow people, the officials, to come in and explain what went wrong in the system, how we can improve the system, and how we could work towards eliminating the spread of hate in this country. This is our opportunity as members of Parliament to put in place the right type of protocols to ensure that this doesn't happen again.

To the member, this program we have in place, a very innovative program that works with organizations across this country to look for ways to fight against hate, is an important issue. We see a constant rise in hate. In Toronto, the most hate crimes are committed against Jewish people. It's growing, and we need to make sure that our programs are working well.

Madam Chair, we only have now 12 minutes left, and it's a hard stop, I believe, at three o'clock. I'm going to ask the member again to let us vote on this motion. We understand exactly what the motion means. She's explained everything in detail. We know all the statistics, numbers and the points that she's made. The member does not have to educate us further on the meaning of the motion. We're capable at this point to make a decision based on the motion that's being put on the floor. It's very clear.

Again, through you, Madam Chair, I'd ask the member to yield the floor and allow the 12 minutes that remain for officials to answer questions that people, not only in this room but in the public, want to hear the answers to.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Mr. Coteau.

Now, Mrs. Thomas, you have the floor.

Also, I've been told by the clerk that there is a hard stop at 3:03. We have no further resources, so we are going to have to end this meeting at that time.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Before I was interrupted by my colleague who wished to filibuster over top of me—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Mrs. Thomas, please do not decide that everyone does not have the right to speak in this committee, only you.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Chair—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Please go ahead. You have the floor. Please speak to your motion.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Chair, I just would ask.... You've asked me to be respectful in my tone and how I appear in this committee. Words were just put in my mouth. I did not accuse my colleague.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Mrs. Thomas, you have the floor to speak to your motion. Will you please speak to your motion?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

I am saying that I was just wrapping up before my colleague interrupted and decided to filibuster over top of me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Mrs. Thomas—