Canadian Heritage Committee on Oct. 31st, 2023

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

That is their prerogative. That is their decision.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

Mrs. Thomas has a point of order.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

I appreciate the point raised there—that we are responsible for our own actions. Just like the Prime Minister is responsible for choosing to do blackface, an individual is responsible.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

That's definitely a matter of debate and both parties are now mudslinging.

Mr. Noormohamed, I'm giving you the floor so that you can continue to speak to the motion.

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Thank you.

I look forward to—given that we are so keen, all of us, to make sure that we don't do things and shouldn't do things to incite hatred or racism—that, as we ensure we work hard to make sure that our colleagues call out when they are associating with anti-Semites, Islamophobes and neo-Nazis, we take it upon ourselves to make sure that our colleagues are doing that, we take it upon ourselves to apologize when we try to implement government policies like a ban on the niqab and we apologize for voting against motions that condemn Islamophobia. It think it's really important that we hold ourselves to these very important standards and that we are consistent in that.

I am grateful that all of us in this room have decided that we take it upon ourselves to condemn anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, because that's the right thing to do. We have all rightly condemned the work of Mr. Marouf, or I think we have, anyway—

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

Mr. Waugh, do you want to rise on a point of order?

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

Yes. I'm sorry, Mr. Chair.

Please stick to the motion, which is calling for the Laith Marouf money to be returned. That is what we are trying to accomplish here this morning.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

Thank you, Mr. Waugh. We do indeed need to stick to the motion.

Go ahead, Mr. Noormohamed.

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Perhaps I might end with this. I think Mr. Waugh's point is absolutely right. If the goal is that this committee pass a motion saying that the Government of Canada must do everything in its power to get that money back, I don't think you're going to see any objection from anybody on this side of the House. If they are prepared to amend or if we are able to work on an amendment to this thing that says this committee would like for the Government of Canada—“instructs” or “directs” or whatever word we're going to use—to get that money and to report back to this committee on the progress, I don't think you're going to get any objection here.

If that's the intent, let's do this, Mr. Chair.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

Mr. Noormohamed, are you proposing an amendment to the motion? If so, could you please read it out to us so that we can write it down and distribute it to all members of the committee?

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Yes. Can I have a few minutes to do that?

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

I'm going to suspend the meeting for a few minutes to allow you to draft the amendment to the motion.

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

We will now suspend the meeting for a few minutes.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

We're reconvening the meeting now, dear colleagues.

Mr. Noormohamed, you've prepared an amendment to the motion and I would ask you to read it to us.

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to formally move this amendment to the motion: That the preamble—

Do you want me to read the whole thing, Mr. Chair, or should I just read the amendment?

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

You can just read your amendment, and specify where it is to be inserted in the motion.

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Thank you.

The amendment reads that the committee “Instruct the Government of Canada to continue to use all efforts to collect all government grant funding awarded to Laith Marouf; and that officials report to this committee within 30 days on its progress on recuperating the funds.”

The amendment, Mr. Chair, has been shared with the clerk. I believe it is being distributed.

I just want to be very clear that, if it is the intent of every single person on this committee that we get that money back from Mr. Marouf, which we should be darned certain we absolutely do and we should be pushing for, then all of us, I think, would be fully supportive of this committee ensuring the government continues to do what it needs to do to get that money back, and that we get a report back at this committee that lets us know how that's going. I think that gives us what all of us need. It is a unifying motion, I hope.

It is something on which we can all agree. I have not touched, Mr. Chair, the preamble that Mr. Shields has so eloquently put together. We all agree on the facts. We all agree on what needs to be done. It would be a wonderful show of unity, given everything that is going on in this country right now, particularly around the rise of hate, for us as a committee to vote on this unanimously to support it and to then move on to the very important work that Mr. Julian noted: getting back to the work of discussing safe sport, which athletes from across this country who have been through terrible trauma deserve to have us finish.

I hope, Mr. Chair, that with that we can find unanimity and we can find some ability to really work together to get this thing passed.

I know that we are now pretty much out of time in this room. I had more things that I did want to say about this, because I do think this meeting should not end without us all being absolutely on record that Mr. Marouf's comments were vile, reprehensible, disgusting, anti-Semitic and anti-francophone. They are anti-Canadian and un-Canadian in their truest form, and I think that getting this money back for the taxpayers of Canada is something that we are all united in and committed to doing. That is what I really hope this amendment, along with Mr. Shield's preamble, will actually accomplish.

With that, Mr. Chair, it may also be worthwhile for us to now adjourn the meeting so that we can begin this conversation properly anew.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

Mrs. Thomas and Mr. Coteau would like to comment on Mr. Noormohamed's amendment.

Mr. Julian, would you like to add your name to the list?

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

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

We usually do follow the list, and I believe I was next, after Mr. Noormohamed.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

You were next on the list of speakers wishing to comment on the motion. However, an amendment to the motion was moved, meaning that it's a brand new list, as you know. If you would like me to add your name, Mr. Julian, I'll do it right now.

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

Once again, Mr. Chair, those already on the list are usually asked whether they would like to speak to the amendment. A whole new list is not drawn up. If the people already on the list wish to speak to the amendment, then the speaking order should be maintained.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

I hear you, Mr. Julian. However, I took the trouble to speak with the clerk before the amendment to the motion was moved, in order to determine what to do with the previous list. My decision is the outcome of recommendations from the clerk, and my discussion with her. Once again, feel free to appeal my decision.

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

As I know that the committee approved you in the role of chair, I will not challenge your decision.

[The Vice-Chair, Bloc, Martin Champoux]

That's more than kind of you. Thanks.