Information & Ethics Committee on Nov. 3rd, 2009

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Order.

This is meeting 35 of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. Our order of the day, pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), is the annual report of the Information Commissioner of Canada for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, referred to the committee on Monday, April 6, 2009.

Our witnesses today, from the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada, are Suzanne Legault, interim Information Commissioner; Lisa M. Campbell, interim assistant information commissioner, policy, communication and operations; and Andrea J. Neill, assistant commissioner, complaints resolution and compliance.

Welcome to all of you yet again. We appreciate your coming before us to tell us all of the wonderful developments since last spring, almost since close to June. I know there are some important developments in the commissioner's office. As you know, we had Mr. Marleau before us, more for a little farewell than anything else, but we certainly did appreciate the opportunity to speak with him again.

Madam Legault, I understand you have an opening statement for the committee. Then we'll move on to our questions and our usual practice.

Please proceed--

Mr. Del Mastro on a point of order.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair.

My point of order is that on Friday morning, in line with the standing orders of this committee, I moved a notice of motion for a motion to be votable today that read:

November 1st 2009 represents the fourth anniversary--

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Order.

I wonder if the clerk would report what happened here.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Jacques Maziade]

I had an e-mail from Mr. Del Mastro's office at 11:39.

I spoke with your assistant Lindsay Gordon, and told her that according to Standing Order 119, only members of the committee could move a motion. Too, I sent an e-mail explaining that to her at 3:37 in the afternoon.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

So pursuant to the standing orders, it was not receivable.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Okay. Thank you.

That's not actually related to where I was going with my point of order, but I do appreciate the clarification.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Please carry on with your point of order.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Thank you.

As I said, on Friday morning I moved the following motion:

November 1st 2009 represents the fourth anniversary of the first report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and--

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

I think we already dealt with a....

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

No, we dealt with why the motion wasn't accepted Friday. But I do have a point that I'm looking to get to.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

There is no motion before the committee right now, and I really don't want to go there at this point.

Is there a point of order? Could you refer to the standing orders with regard to the nature of the point of order?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

It's procedural, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

We don't have to hear the motion, because there is no motion before us.

Please get to the point of your point of order.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

The point of my point of order, Mr. Chairman, since you're obstructing what I'm trying to accomplish, is to make members aware--

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Order.

Mr. Del Mastro, do you want to withdraw those remarks, please?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Well, I think it's clear for everyone here that you're obstructing my point of order, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Do you want to withdraw the remarks, Mr. Del Mastro?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Okay. I will withdraw the word “obstructing” and use the words “being difficult” in allowing me to convey what I'm trying to get at.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

I'm going to ask you to move directly to your point of order so we can get on with our business. I don't want a speech. A point of order has to be precise and it has to refer to matters that are outlined in Marleau & Montpetit. There are four particular areas in which a point of order can be raised.

Please complete your point of order.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It is procedural. As I indicated, I moved a motion on Friday that was not accepted because, as the clerk stated, as an associate member of the committee, I was not entitled to move the motion. However, procedure states that this committee may in fact waive the time requirement for a motion by unanimous consent.

I would like to ask members for unanimous consent--

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Order.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

--to move that motion today--

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Order.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

--and for it to be considered--

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Order.

When I say “order”, Mr. Del Mastro, that means that you stop speaking.

You cannot move a motion on a point of order.

So you are out of order, sir.