Evidence of meeting #18 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 speak.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Christian Paradis Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Chair, I want to say here, before this committee, that Mr. Togneri was summoned...
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
I am sorry, Mr. Minister.
I did want to give you the opportunity with the concurrence of the committee. Someone has called for a point of order. I don't want to get into a debate about what you're saying. I wanted to show respect and give you an opportunity to present any information you felt was important for the committee with regard to this.
Conservative
Christian Paradis Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Yes, I am getting to that information. I just wanted to give you my...
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
How much time do you need? Ten seconds?
Mr. Desnoyers, could we allow him ten seconds?
Bloc
Luc Desnoyers Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Thank you again for giving me the floor, even though it took some time. I understand that you would like to hear from the minister, but a motion has been passed and now we have to go by the agenda and move to committee business. We have more than enough work for the next hour without hearing from the minister. He has to leave us anyway, you told us so. You have done that in the past.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
He's entitled to be here as long as he wants. He's a member of Parliament. With the indulgence of the committee, I wanted to offer him the opportunity to speak. Maybe I was presumptuous. But the minister says he has a couple of moments left in his statement, and I'll allow the minister to finish his thought. Then we're moving on to committee business.
Bloc
Luc Desnoyers Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Mr. Chair, I would like to raise a point of order once more.
Mr. Chair, you do not need to decide for the committee. The committee has always taken a clear position on this. The committee decides these things, not the chair. Can we please move to the committee business in point 2 of the agenda, as approved?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Okay. The committee is the master of its own business. I attempted to show a little bit of respect for the minister, but the committee does not unanimously agree. So we are going to move now, Mr. Desnoyers, to committee business.
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
I'd like to respond to the point of order. Is that not my privilege? I want to speak to the point of order raised by Mr. Desnoyers. Is that not my right? I will be brief.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Mr. Lukiwski, you understand that the chair sought to show a little respect to the minister and made a unilateral decision. The members have pointed out that we had already decided to move to committee business. I asked if there was consent. Indirectly, I asked if it would be okay with the members to allow the minister to speak. The members have said no. As a consequence, Mr. Lukiwski, no matter how much you debate, there isn't consensus that the minister speak any further.
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
This is not debate. I want to speak to the point of order raised by Mr. Desnoyers.
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
I thank you for your indulgence in your suggestion to the committee that the minister, who has sat here patiently for over an hour and appeared here on his own volition, ought to be extended the courtesy of making a statement. I would like to have it on the record that the opposition members, led by Mr. Desnoyers, are refusing the minister the right to make a few opening comments and want to exclude him from any discussion on this matter, the very matter that brought this committee here today.
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Chair, I think your suggestion was the correct one. I am admonishing the opposition members who think that it is not worthy of this committee to hear the minister's comments. He has said he would be brief. I respect the minister. I believe that brevity will be part of his presentation and I would encourage my opposition colleagues to allow him to make a few comments. After all, was it not the purpose of this committee's discussion to try to find answers? Yet it now appears now that the opposition doesn't want those answers. This is looking more and more like a kangaroo court. I want these comments on the record, and I would encourage all members to reconsider their position and allow the minister to make a few comments.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Chair, to a certain extent, I understand why you would want to show some respect for the minister and allow him to speak. But the fact of the matter is that the whole cabinet, starting with the letter from the Prime Minister, is not showing committees any respect. Ministers are invited to committees to discuss certain issues that fall under their responsibilities.
Conservative
