Information & Ethics Committee on May 10th, 2007

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

No, it's not.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Said by your own words, it's the motion.

[A voice]

Read what the motion is then.

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

The motion is, clearly, that Carole Lavallée therefore moves:

That the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics urgently address the internal report by the Department of Foreign Affairs entitled Afghanistan 2006: Good Governance, Democratic Development and Human Rights, consider the matter, gather evidence and report on the apparent violation of the Access to Information Act.

That is the motion that we are debating at the present time.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

So what is this preamble? What is that?

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

I presume it's Madame Lavallée's attempt to convince people to support her motion when she distributed it.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

It's a rant. It's a rant in the motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

It's not part of the motion. I have so ruled. I don't want to hear any more about it.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Is it part of the record?

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

It isn't part of the record, because we've read what the motion is.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Well, I find it most offensive and objectionable.

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

That may be. Do you have any other point of order on it?

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

I do, sir.

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

Yes, sir.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

I'm going to repeat a little bit of what Mr. Wallace said in asking for support of his motion, but it is part of a point of order, and that is the following. We have a commission. We have an Information Commissioner. They have a budget of millions of dollars, and they're asked to do a number of things. One of them is to investigate whether certain information should be released.

I find it really unusual that this committee would decide to take over the work of the Information Commissioner and the Information Commission. Why have an Information Commission? This has been dealt with.

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

Mr. Tilson, what is the point? You're not on debate, which is fair. You can debate it all you want. What is your point of order?

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Chairman, I'm entitled to say that I think it's out of order, because this committee is trying to do the work of the Information Commissioner. That's not in order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

Is your point that, in your view, the committee does not have the jurisdiction to deal with this matter because it is the Information Commissioner who has the jurisdiction? Is that your point?

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Absolutely.

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

I'll rule the point not well taken. Do you have any other points?

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

The point is, Mr. Chairman, that by the committee taking over the jurisdiction, which is your ruling--

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

On the contrary. That's not my ruling.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Well, sir, that's the way I interpret it. You're saying--

[The Chair, Liberal, Tom Wappel]

My ruling is that the committee has the authority to investigate any subject matter it wishes to investigate pursuant to rule 108, and it can do so. That does not usurp the jurisdiction of the Information Commission.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Well, I would submit it's certainly going to prejudice the investigation.