COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on May 21st, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Ms. Rempel Garner.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I believe, Mr. Chair, when the House of Commons resumed the first time after suspension, the motion passed gave the government unprecedented spending powers in light of the COVID-19 crisis. Ostensibly this would be the forum in which to question those powers that were given as part of the COVID-19 crisis, so one would think that questioning a major renovation done to the Prime Minister's house during this period under those spending powers would be a relevant question.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

I agree.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I will let the minister who is answering that question answer when the time comes, but my parameters are to make sure that everything is within the parameters given to this committee, and—

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Chair—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mr. Barrett, we'll let you—

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Chair, is your ruling that my question cannot be asked?

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It can be asked. Whether it is answered or not is another story.

Mr. Barrett, do you have a question?

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Yes, Mr. Chair. My question is, how much are Canadians paying for renovations to mansions for the Prime Minister while they cannot pay their bills?

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mr. Rodriguez.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Chair, once again on the point of order. If I may, I would like to read the April 20 motion. It is very specific. It was read and passed in the House:—(h) a special committee on the COVID-19 pandemic shall be established, composed of all members of the House, and which shall meet for the purposes of

(i) considering ministerial announcements, (ii) allowing members to present petitions, (iii) questioning ministers of the Crown, including the Prime Minister, in respect of the COVID-19 pandemic—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Barrett, do you have a question?

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Chair, are you going to rule on his point of order?

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The point of order is that we do have restrictions within this committee and our parameters—

[An hon. member]

On a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Please don't interrupt the chair while he is speaking, whoever brought that up. We'll come to you in a moment.

Mr. Barrett, I will come to your point that we do have parameters with this committee. We do have limitations, and I ask the members to respect those limitations.

Now somebody brought up a point of order. Who was it?

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Chair, the point of order was that we couldn't hear the beginning of your statement.

My apologies.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Okay, sorry about that.

Basically what I was saying was that the committee does have set parameters as stated by the House, and we are required to stay within those parameters.

Now, Mr. Barrett, do you have a question?

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

My question is for the government. How much are Canadians to pay for the construction and renovation of secret mansions for the Prime Minister?

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

On a point of order, and no offence to Mr. Barrett, but the use of “secret mansions” and so on, the tone of the question, if I could offer my friend some advice, isn't helping him.

We might be able to say that the Harrington Lake cottage—

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

That's debate.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

That's debate.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

No, excuse me, I'd like to make a point of order.

The Harrington Lake cottage has relevance to the pandemic in that the Prime Minister and his family sheltered there and therefore that made the Harrington Lake cottage connected to COVID-19 sufficiently that an argument could be made, respectfully, that the government should answer the question, but the language the hon. member is using is prejudicial and makes the question appear less relevant.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

On that point of order, Mr. Chair—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

That is debate as far as I'm concerned.