Information & Ethics Committee on Aug. 11th, 2008

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

I can, Mr. Chairman. I can leave you with a copy of this Vancouver Sun article, CanWest News Service, April 23, 2008, where David Marler, a former Conservative candidate in the Quebec Eastern Townships riding of Brome—Missisquoi, as you said, claimed that he “refused to go along with the party's in-and-out financing scheme because he didn't think it passed the smell test”:

Marler, a lawyer from Knowlton, Que. says he was told by party officials in January that they did not want him as a candidate. While they refused to give any reason for their decision, Marler believes it could have been because the party was still upset over his refusal to allow money to be transferred in and out of his campaign account in 2006.

This candidate had been approached, declined, and then was told he couldn't run again for the Conservatives.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Okay. I believe that provides the information to members with regard to the discussion we had before the break. That having been heard, I've given the information to the members.

Mr. Goodyear, you had a matter you wanted to raise with us.

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Yes, please. Thank you, Chair.

I would like to move a motion: that the list of witnesses be reviewed with the point of relevance being considered for all witnesses, and that suggestions for additions and/or deletions be submitted by any or all members by 9 a.m. tomorrow.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

As I understand the motion, all of the witnesses for whom notice has been given and for whom members have been given the information with regard to their calendarization for our meetings were already approved by the committee.

With regard to relevance, I think we've dealt with it. All of the witnesses are either participants in the media buy.... One candidate and his OA refused to participate, and the rest are media buy personnel or Conservative Party officials or representatives or are from Elections Canada or the public prosecutor's office. Those people are all clearly relevant.

I suggest to you respectfully, Mr. Goodyear, that to review the current list would probably not result in any changes, simply because they are all relevant on their face.

With regard to the second part of your proposed motion, about any future witnesses, that is an agenda item for us of which you've been given notice for Thursday, and we should deal with it then.

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Chair, you've accepted my motion, and really, with all due respect, I wasn't looking for your opinion. I was asking, through a motion that is debatable, that the list be reviewed this evening by all members, and that if we feel someone is irrelevant.... We just witnessed today, Mr. Chair, witnesses you have already deemed relevant being completely irrelevant, an error that cost the taxpayers money.

I'm only suggesting what Madame Lavallée has asked: that she take it under advisement. We offered her until tomorrow to determine the relevance of that witness.

I have a motion before the chair, and I would like it debated, and I would like a vote on it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Okay, thank you. I have heard the motion.

Mr. Goodyear, as I indicated to you, all of the witnesses presently on our notice list have been approved by the committee. We have an item to consider future witnesses, and to have a debate and a vote on something that the members have already voted on would be improper.

Accordingly, I'm going to rule the motion out of order.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[An hon. member]

I challenge your ruling.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

The chair has been challenged. That has to be put to a vote immediately. I would like to ask the clerk to please call the roll.

[An hon. member]

[Inaudible--Editor]

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

No, no, I'm sorry. Mr. LeBlanc answered the question that Madame Lavallée needed some time to deal with.

[Some hon. members]

[Inaudible--Editor]

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Order, order!

The decision of the chair that the motion is out of order has been challenged. It's not debatable. I must put the question now. The question is, shall the decision of the chair be sustained?

Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll.

(Ruling of the chair sustained [See Minutes of Proceedings])

The orders of the day, the witnesses, and the motion by Mr. Reid have all been discharged. There's no other business before the committee at this time.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Therefore, we are adjourned.