Evidence of meeting #15 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sparrow.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Andrews Liberal Avalon, NL
You say you've had dealings with the issues management team at the PMO?
12:10 p.m.
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
That's correct.
12:10 p.m.
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mr. Chair, with all due respect, I don't think the issue is who I've spoken to in issues management, but rather that I am the minister's director of communications, and I ultimately take responsibility on behalf of the minister for communications in the department of HRSDC.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Andrews Liberal Avalon, NL
I'd like to know who you spoke with on the issues management team with the PMO, because if there's another freedom of information request, I would like to see that you have been open and honest with this committee on who you spoke with in the PMO.
12:10 p.m.
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mr. Chair, the issue is that it was my decision.
12:10 p.m.
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
I made the decision--
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
We have here a member of a political staff who's being asked to identify who he has spoken with in the Prime Minister's Office. He could probably provide a list that would include 80% or 90% of the members of the Prime Minister's Office.
To demand that he provide an entire list of every person that he's ever spoken to in the office of the Prime Minister is a ridiculous question, and to badger him as though he is trying to evade the question when the question is an impossible one to answer off the top of his head....
I mean, how many people have you spoken to in the office of the leader of the opposition? Probably all of them--and there's nothing wrong with you doing that.
12:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
No, no. Just a moment.
That's debate, not a point of order.
Your time is up.
Madame Freeman, five minutes.
Oh, sorry. We're back to Mr. Poilievre. Sorry. And then it's Madame Freeman or whoever...
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
I want to talk about the relationship between accountability and responsibility.
Mr. Sparrow, do you agree that those two things go hand in hand?
12:10 p.m.
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Yes.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
And if a department, any department, were to release false information, who would be responsible to the public for that? If a department were to release false information to the public, who would be responsible for that failure?
12:10 p.m.
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Well, since the minister is responsible for the department, the minister would be responsible.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
So the minister is responsible for the information that comes out of the department. Do you agree that the minister's delegate--in this case, you--would have some role in ensuring that the information that goes out is accurate?
12:10 p.m.
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Yes.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
That is essentially your role in this instance, is it not?
12:10 p.m.
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Yes.