Canadian Heritage Committee on Oct. 19th, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

It's very clear in the subamendment that it was asked for Ms. Tait to come for two hours. It's pretty clear. I don't understand what your question is.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Sure. My colleague Mr. Julian was able to raise a point of order and ask you, for I believe the fourth or fifth time, to state whether or not Ms. Tait is scheduled to come on November 2.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Yes.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

I felt that it was my equal opportunity and right as a member of this committee to ask a similar question.

I'm wondering if you can clarify for this committee why Ms. Tait is being invited to come for two hours within the framework of this subamendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I can clarify it, because you are speaking to the subamendment. Mr. Waugh clarified it, but he spoke to his own subamendment. I don't understand what your question is. Ms. Tait is being asked. Until the subamendment is passed, Ms. Tait is coming for only one hour to speak to her appointment, and until this subamendment is allowed to be voted on and passed or declined, we still don't have a question that I can answer for you, Ms. Thomas.

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

Can I ask a point of order?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You have a point of information?

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

On a point of order, if a member had the floor and the member asked for a point of order, does that mean she's released her opportunity to hold the floor because she brought up a new point of order?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I don't think so. She has the floor. As Ms. Thomas well knows, she can speak for as long as she wants unless she's, as I said, redundant or repetitive, in which case I will ask her to cede the floor. Ms. Thomas asked a question a couple of times. We cannot decide whether Ms. Tait is coming for two hours until we can finish discussing the subamendment and voting for or against it.

In theory I cannot answer that question, Ms. Thomas, because I cannot presume what the outcome of this will be.

Thank you.

Ms. Thomas, go ahead.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

The point I was making before Mr. Julian raised his point of order was that the reason this subamendment is so important is that it would be irresponsible for us as a committee to hear from Mr. Achi and the CBC ombudsman but not hear from the CBC's CEO or executive. It is incumbent upon us, and I believe it is very important, to hear from Ms. Tait, as the head of the organization and therefore the individual who is responsible for answering for its decisions.

Again, I would draw attention to the fact that this subamendment, to answer my own question, has to do with Ms. Tait's coming in regard to the CBC's coverage of the conflict in Gaza. That is the purpose of this subamendment. It is not to be confused with Ms. Tait's general mandate.

With that—

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

On a point of order, Madam Chair, can you clarify whether, when Ms. Tait comes before the committee next Thursday, you will be restricting questions in any way, or will members around this table be free to ask whatever questions we would like to ask the head of CBC?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Mr. Julian.

I would like to clarify. I think I already did this earlier when Ms. Thomas was speaking to the subamendment, but in fact when Ms. Tait arrives here.... Originally the motion that was passed by this committee was to have her come in and discuss as CBC's CEO, in which instance you can ask her anything about her mandate or about her intention. There is no restriction on what you can ask her in that one hour.

Thank you, Mr. Julian. I hope that's clear now to everyone on the committee.

Go ahead, Ms. Thomas.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Thank you.

It's easy in these scenarios to say that one day this will happen or that will happen and that this opportunity will be given or that opportunity will be given. Again, Ms. Tait has indicated that she is going to come to this committee on November 2 and will be here for one hour, which will give some members at this table an opportunity to ask questions but certainly not all members at this table the opportunity, because time will not permit that. Again, those will have to do with her general mandate, but there's something actually really—

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

On a point of order, Madam Chair, as the meeting grinds on to an end, I would like to point out that we are now in the realm of Ms. Thomas being repetitive. The use of her own word “again” is a clear indication that we are hearing the same point again over and over and over and over. Perhaps, Madam Chair, we might be able to find a way to move on to the other voices, including those from her own party, who have been trying to speak to this for some time, but we really are now in the realm of being repetitive.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Mr. Noormohamed.

We have three more minutes left in committee, and no one else waiting on the list has had an opportunity to speak to the subamendment.

Ms. Thomas, have you finished with your points?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

No.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You have not.

I would advise you not to be repetitive and redundant, as you are coming close to being both.

Thank you.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Chair, when I use the term “again”, it's in reference to my colleague Mr. Julian raising points of order again and again and again—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Ms. Thomas, Mr. Julian is free, as is every member here, to raise a point of order any time they wish. The chair listens to it—and has to—before the chair can rule on whether it is a point of order or not. I first must listen to what the member is asking.

I don't know why, Ms. Thomas, you try to continue to tell the chair that the chair.... If you'd like to chair this committee, Ms. Thomas, I would ask you to apply for yourself to chair the committee, but I'm chairing it.

I wish you to continue to speak. Whatever you have to say, you have two minutes to finish your discussion on the subamendment brought forward by Mr. Waugh. I would ask you again to not be redundant or repetitive, and you are getting very close to being both.

Thank you.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Chair, I'm not entirely sure, I guess, what.... It's interesting, because I'm getting my hand slapped in a few different ways here. As a member of this committee, I believe that I have the freedom and the ability to speak to the subamendment that is being discussed and to raise the points that I feel need to be raised on behalf of my constituents and on behalf of Canadians.

The fact that I am being directed in such a way and that I'm being berated for responding to my colleague Mr. Julian and his repetitive points of order—

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

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I have Mr. Coteau.

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

Again, the member is repeating a point that has been made many times. I just want to say for the record in this point of order that we've done some great work together on this report on safe sport. We've worked hard to really sit down with a lot of folks who went through some really awful moments. We have a job to do as a committee, and we've done great work together. I would just appeal to the members opposite, on the Conservative side, to speak to your colleague.

We just spent an hour and a half on the same issue. We really need to get this report done. We went through 165 points the first day. At the last meeting, we did nothing. At this meeting, we've done nothing.

I would just appeal to the other members to please talk to the member, who has really wasted a lot of our time today, so that we can actually get this work done and we can make recommendations to create a safer environment in Canada when it comes to the protection of a lot of young people and adults when it comes to sport.

Thank you very much.

I move a motion to adjourn.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you. The meeting is now adjourned—

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

You can't do a motion to adjourn.