Evidence of meeting #19 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was site.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Colleagues, I will remind each of us that we do have a mandate as committee members and that we want to ensure that the documents that we request align with the work that we're currently undertaking.
Madam Lattanzio, we'll turn to you.
3 p.m.
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I also requested during my questioning the SafeGuard software that Mr. Tassillo spoke to. I asked him to give us more details in writing, as well as the standards that were put in place prior to December 2020 and after 2020.
I see that my colleague Nathan is not with us, but I remember distinctly that he asked for the transparency documents and reports during his first question period, as well as MindGeek's billings both here in Canada and internationally. I imagine that would include Luxembourg and Cyprus.
3 p.m.
Liberal
Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
I don't want to be limited, so I'll include all branches worldwide.
3 p.m.
Liberal
Han Dong Liberal Don Valley North, ON
Thank you, Chair.
I was going to ask for the transparency reports, but my colleague just asked for them. Can we get the transparency report for the last five years? I just want to add that the number is five years.
Thank you.
3 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Good. Thank you for the clarity.
Mr. Viersen, are you looking to jump in here?
3 p.m.
Conservative
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
I'm wondering, Mr. Chair, about going forward. Are we planning to have more meetings on this in the near future? I'd be happy to meet during the break week if we need to. I know that we have the Kielburgers showing up, but—
3 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Thank you, Mr. Viersen. I just want to finalize the document requests now, and then we'll get on to future business, but we do have meetings coming up, yes.
3 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
As the old-guy conscience on the committee, I want to put it on record that we are looking at a specific issue, which is whether privacy rights were violated. It is not the role of our committee to investigate an adult entertainment industry. If they are complying with the law, we have nothing to say. Our focus is about whether or not failures to protect on issues of consent and non-consent took place.
It is important that we state that we will examine the documents we are requesting in camera. If we believe they are relevant, we will add them to our testimony. To reassure our witnesses about financial information and so on, this is not about naming and shaming. If the information is relevant, and if four different political parties that don't often agree on anything can all agree that it is relevant, then it will be made part of the study. If it's not relevant, the privacy information that is given to us is returned.
It is very important to say that this information will be examined in camera, and then it will be decided whether or not it belongs in the larger study.
Mr. Chair, would that be how we normally address these issues?
3 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Yes, that is correct, Mr. Angus, and I thank you for the clarification. That is helpful in terms of how our documentation is dealt with.
I want to thank you, gentlemen, for joining us today. We know it has been a long two hours and we certainly appreciate your being willing to meet with us and answer the questions that we have—
3:05 p.m.
Liberal
3:05 p.m.
Liberal
Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON
Before we sign off today, there's one thing we could ask for that is very important, because it is a very complex structure. It is the information regarding MG Billing. I'm trying to decipher everything with regard to that. If MG Billing could that be added to the document list, it would be appreciated.
3:05 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Good. Thank you, Mr. Sorbara.
Gentlemen, thanks so much for joining us. We appreciate your testimony. We will obviously be interested in receiving these documents that have been requested, and we'll be happy to work with you or your legal counsel as you prepare these documents. Please submit them to the clerk. We will work with our law clerk to ensure that we undertake a review in the appropriate way for any documentation that does come to our committee.
Colleagues, in terms of the upcoming meetings, I ask that you submit names of suggested witnesses to the clerk over the next couple of days. We will be working through the next number of days to finalize the meetings for the next stage that we'll be undertaking in the same study. I'll be in contact with you individually and I hope we can come to a consensus on those witnesses.
If there is nothing more, I will adjourn the meeting.
The meeting is adjourned.