Evidence of meeting #39 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 investigation.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
Thank you very much.
If I may, at this point I'm going to deal with a motion. Mr. Calandra gave proper notice of a motion. It's very short. I'll read it:
That the committee study access to information at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and invite members of the CBC executive and other witnesses to testify in this regard.
Before I ask Mr. Calandra to speak to the motion, I do want to point out--and these have been circulated--this issue was discussed at the steering committee and it was unanimously agreed that we would call the executives of the CBC and the information commissioner to appear before us at a meeting in February, so I guess there is a certain amount of duplication here.
Mr. Calandra has the motion. It doesn't make any difference.
Mr. Calandra, you have the floor.
Conservative
Paul Calandra Conservative Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll be brief, because it would appear that now we'll probably have unanimous support for the motion. As I said, it's just an opportunity for us to do what we're supposed to do and allow both sides to come in and talk about how they can perhaps resolve the issue with respect to access to information. Again, if it would appear that everybody's in agreement with it, we could dispose of it quickly and get to the rest of the items on the agenda.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
There's such little institutional memory around this place. Doing the work of committees by motion is the lowest way that we can demonstrate a consensus. That's what steering committees are for. I don't know why we use motions as political hammers to say “I thought of it, you didn't”, or whatever trick this is. We've already agreed to do the study; we don't need the motion.
I don't understand why we can't make these committees work by consensus. I am indeed frustrated by it. In some committees parliamentary secretaries are tabling work plans, for heaven's sake. We can't carry on like this.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
Ms. Bennett, can I interrupt you?
In fairness to Mr. Calandra, this is in context. And the members of the committee deserve a little apology, perhaps from me and the staff here. What happened was this matter was discussed—as everyone on the steering committee recalls—at the steering committee probably a couple of weeks ago. It was unanimously agreed to, but for some reason we got into another issue about the e-consultation and it wasn't put in the minutes, it wasn't presented to the committee for ratification. So no one knew about it, so Mr. Calandra was quite proper to bring this motion to the floor. From my recollection of the steering committee—and you were there—it was agreed to but it wasn't followed up in the proper course, and that should be pointed out to members of the committee.
Really, colleagues, I don't think this needs a lot of debate.
Madame Thi Lac.
Bloc
Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Chair, I only want some clarification from Mr. Calandra. This motion asks the committee to ”invite members of the CBC executive”, which seems clear enough. However, it also refers to ”other witnesses to testify in this regard”. I would like to know what he means by ”other witnesses”. Who would prepare the list? Would the parties have to provide a list? Who would be those witnesses? That is what I want him to clarify.
Liberal
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Mr. Chair, it's quite obvious that Ms. Bennett is frustrated, but I think this committee should be reminded that at some point or another, in most committees, every member has had the privilege of putting a motion forward to initiate a study.
The other part that's important to remember, and that you've pointed out already, Mr. Chair, is that this motion was tabled before the subcommittee met today.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
No, no, Mr. Albrecht. The subcommittee discussed this and talked about it at least three weeks ago.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
With all due respect, Mr. Chair, this motion by Mr. Calandra was tabled before the subcommittee reported its action today. On the basis of that, I think it's important that we consider the motion. The intent is the same; the motion was presented, and I do think that along with Ms. Thi Lac's concern is that at some point when we indicate that we're going to go into a new study, we do in fact invite members to submit potential lists of witnesses, which are then considered by the committee.
So I think this is in order, and I think the more time we waste debating whether or not a motion should be tabled and received I think is a moot point.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Just to address both issues, again, this motion was brought forward before the subcommittee reported the seventh report. At least that's my understanding of it.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
I don't raise that to impugn anybody's management. I think the seventh report came to us in a reasonable amount of time. It's just a matter of coincidence that the member put forward a similar motion, almost identical to what is found in the seventh report. Studies are always initiated by motion, by the way. They actually don't exist—
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
One speaker at a time, please. The translators can only handle one speaker.
Mr. Poilievre.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Even if a study is initiated at subcommittee and put into a report format, somebody has to move the report.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
That's not true—not for it to get on the agenda. I chaired the disabilities subcommittee. We never had a vote—
Liberal
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
So if something has to be moved, it can only be moved by a motion, which is a fact, not an opinion. Therefore, every study that is ever initiated is initiated in some way, shape, or form by a motion.