Canadian Heritage Committee on Nov. 18th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to the 54th meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

I would like to acknowledge that this meeting is taking place on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted by this House on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, the committee is resuming consideration of Bill C-18, an act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada, and is commencing clause-by-clause consideration of this bill today.

I just wanted to give everybody a bit of a heads-up on some of the things that we need to be careful about.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format. Those of you who are on Zoom, please check the bottom of your screen and you will see a globe, which is an interpretation bar. You know that you can press it to get English or French as you choose. Those of you in the room are already familiar with what to do to be able to get your translation going.

Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. Please mute yourselves when you're not speaking. When you want to speak, the clerk will recognize you for me if you're on the floor. I will see your hand up in the bar, if you're not. I want to remind you that all comments should be addressed through the chair.

I also wanted to ask the clerk one question. Has everybody been using the approved headsets?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Aimée Belmore]

There are no witnesses today with headsets, so no tests were required in order to do the meeting today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Obviously, the MPs have the correct headsets. I need to ask that because it is part of what we're trying to do now to protect our interpreters.

I would also like to make a point that there should be no photographs or recordings taken of the proceedings.

Now, in accordance with our routine motion, I want to welcome the witnesses who are present to answer any technical questions about Bill C-18 that the members of the committee might have.

We shall proceed to our clause-by-clause consideration. Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of clause 1, which is the short title, is going to be postponed until the end of the clause-by-clause.

Clause 2 has the Conservative amendment CPC-01.

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

Madam Chair, I believe Mr. Waugh is rising on a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Go ahead, Kevin.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I just served a notice of motion that I think everybody around the table has. I wanted to deal with it very quickly before we go to clause-by-clause, if that's okay with you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I do not have a notice of motion, Mr. Waugh.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

It was given to the clerk a couple of days ago, so it should be there.

Aimée, I think it's there. Is that right?

[The Clerk]

It was distributed.

I can redistribute it if you'd like, sir.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Yes, please.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I'll ask the committee. Does everyone have that motion? Do you know which motion we're speaking of?

I'm seeing Mr. Housefather shaking his head. I'm hoping that this notice of motion is something that we can dispense with, because we are trying to get clause-by-clause going and we all agreed that this would be so.

I'm going to ask the clerk to read the motion, please, in English and French, because I do not have it.

[The Clerk]

Absolutely, Dr. Fry.

The motion is this:

That former Supreme Court Justice, the Honourable Thomas Cromwell, be invited to appear before the committee pursuant to its study on safe sport in Canada, regarding his final independent governance review of Hockey Canada; and that the committee hear from Justice Cromwell prior to Hockey Canada's announcement of its new board and chief executive officer (CEO).

The motion reads as follows:That...

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

I apologize, Kevin. I have seen that motion. I didn't know what you were referring to.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

On a point of order, Madam Chair.

The clerk was about to—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I'm sorry. There is noise in the room.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

The clerk was about to read the motion. Could you please let her finish?

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you. I didn't realize that she had still to do that.

Go ahead, Madam Clerk.

[The Clerk]

The motion reads as follows:

That former Supreme Court Justice, the Honourable Thomas Cromwell, be invited to appear before the committee pursuant to its study on safe sport in Canada, regarding his final independent governance review of Hockey Canada; and that the committee hears Justice Cromwell prior to Hockey Canada's announcement of its new board and chief executive officer (CEO).

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Members of the committee, you have a motion before you. Does anyone wish to oppose the motion and speak against it?

Obviously, Mr. Waugh, it's a compelling motion on its own.

How does the committee want to go ahead? Do you want to speak for or against, or do you just want to vote on the motion?

[The Clerk]

Mr. Bittle has his hand up.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Go ahead, Mr. Bittle.

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

Thank you so much, Madam Chair.

The motion is imprecise in terms of a date. It's unanimous that we wish to call Justice Cromwell, but we're eating into clause-by-clause. Maybe this is a better time to adjourn it.

We all agree to it. I know that a lot of members have said that we want to expand the study and hear from other sports organizations, from experts, and really start getting into a further discussion of the issues involving national sports organizations, not just Hockey Canada.

I think this requires an amendment, because it's a date before the—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Would you like to make an amendment, Mr. Bittle?

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

No, I really don't want to make an amendment because this is now eating into too much time. I really think this is something to come back to.

I move that we adjourn debate on this so we can come back to it in the future.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

Mrs. Thomas, your hand is up.