Evidence of meeting #2 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chairman.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Good morning, colleagues.
This is meeting number two of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.
Our order of the day, under committee business, is planning of future business, and as agreed at the last meeting, we have the three commissioners, who will be giving us no more than—
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Chairman, I didn't know if it would be necessary for me to intervene at this time, until I understood what you have planned here. I was optimistic—
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Well, my point of order, Mr. Chairman, is that I believe we should be dealing with the motions about future business first and then hear from the witnesses.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
That's also a motion. You cannot make a motion under a point of order.
Now, we have before us the access to information—
Conservative
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
I see some cameras leaning over your shoulder, Mr. Chairman, and I don't know who those cameras are. If it's the media, that's one thing; if it's the parliamentary people, that's fine. It's just a little unusual to have cameras leaning over the shoulder of the chairman. I just leave that with you. You are setting a bit of a precedent if you're allowing it.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Thank you, Mr. Tilson.
I was advised at ten o'clock that there was a request that the media be permitted to televise—
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
—and I was advised directly by the clerk. Maybe the clerk could advise the—
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Well, people can make a request all they like. I'm just saying that in my brief experience in this place, it's highly unusual and irregular for the media to.... They can interview people out in the halls; they can watch it on television, if it's televised by the parliamentary channels. I don't know what the media is going to do with these things. They're taking pictures of me as I'm speaking here. God knows what will happen.
I'm just saying I've never seen a committee where this happens like this.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Thank you, Mr. Tilson. You're quite right. I'm aware that the normal practice is that 24 hours' notice be given, and 24 hours' notice was not given. If it's the wish of the committee, we will ask that the cameras be removed.
Mr. Martin.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Chairman, the order of business that we're at right now is planning of future business, and I would like to—
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
We're moving along, Mr. Chairman.
It's a point of order. Are the cameras going to stay or are the cameras going to leave?
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
No. I'm just asking if it is the wish of the committee that the cameras be removed.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
I think that given that 24 hours was not...it would require unanimous consent of the committee to allow the cameras to stay.
Would someone care to make a motion that with unanimous consent the committee ask the cameras to be removed?
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
There's a lot of theatre going on in here, Mr. Chairman. I don't think it's appropriate.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Okay. I see none. I'm going to move on with the agenda then.
I would like to introduce—
