Evidence of meeting #23 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 chair.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Miriam Burke

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

A point of order, Mr. Chair.

11:50 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Mr. Angus.

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Didn't Madame Shanahan say Ms. Lucki and the director of public prosecutions? That's what I thought she said. Wouldn't you have to name them both for the subamendment?

11:50 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

I missed that, sorry.

I'm seeing the indication that this in fact was the intention.

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Yes.

11:50 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Is this a subamendment to the list, or was this a separate amendment? I guess that's the first question.

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

I accept it as a friendly subamendment.

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC

Agreed.

11:50 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Okay. Very good. So it will be a subamendment.

We are currently voting on adding the names of the director of public prosecutions and the commissioner.

All those in favour, please indicate via your “raise hand” icon.

(Subamendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

That is passed unanimously.

Now we will move to the amendment, which is now amended to include three names—

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC

Mr. Chair, I just want to note that it wasn't passed unanimously. I had not put up my hand.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

I apologize.

Thank you, Mr. Fergus.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON

Mr. Chair, will that just pass on division now?

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Yes, it will pass on division.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON

On a point of order, Chair, I'm just not sure if we can exercise a vote by raised hand. I might be getting some gentle coaching from the clerk, who is sitting six feet away from me right now. While we can accept it on division, we can't do it by raised hand. I guess it's consensus, on division or roll call.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Very good. I should be paying attention to the clerk as well. I appreciate the instruction and the help. If I would simply watch my text this would work a lot easier.

Now we will move to the amendment that has been amended.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Patricia Lattanzio Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

Mr. Chair, can you just read out the amendment so that it's clear to everyone what we're voting on?

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

The amendment now includes the Minister of Justice, and then the two additional names of the commissioner and the director of public prosecutions. Those three names are now in the amendment.

(Amendment as amended agreed to on division)

Now we are moving to the amended motion in its entirety, which includes all of those names added to the public safety minister.

I'm not seeing anyone wanting to speak to that, so we'll move to a vote.

Is there anyone opposed to the motion as amended? I am not seeing any.

(Motion as amended agreed to)

Thank you. That is approved on division.

Mr. Fortin, we'll turn to you now.

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

You say that it was carried on division, but no hands were raised, so I assume we were all in favour of the motion. This is just a formality, so I will let you deal with it.

I would like to ask the committee to adopt the three motions for which notices were previously submitted by Ms. Gaudreau and which aim to add certain things to our routine motions. I don't know whether you want me to read them one by one or all three at the same time. I don't have a preference. There won't be any long debates. Unless I'm mistaken, everyone is aware of these motions, and I even feel that we all support them.

Do you have a preference in terms of the order, Mr. Chair?

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

No, I don't have a preference, but I would like to deal with them one at a time.

Let's deal with one motion at a time. I have no preference as to which order you move them in.

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC

Okay. So I will read the first one that is in front of me, concerning technical tests for witnesses:

That all documents submitted for Committee business that do not come from a federal department or that have not been translated by the Translation Bureau be sent for prior linguistic review by the Translation Bureau before being distributed to members.

There were issues in some committees and, according to what I have been told, it was agreed that the Board of Internal Economy put in place such a provision.

I also don't think there were any issues at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, but this helps clarify the issue and ensure that the documents presented have been reviewed, both in English and in French, and that the translations are in line with the proposal's spirit.

11:55 a.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Okay.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

The clerk is circulating that again to members if they don't have it in front of them.

I see Mr. Fergus raising his hand. Was that to get on the speakers list?

Mr. Fergus, we'll turn to you.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I would like to thank my colleague from the Bloc Québécois, for whom I have a great deal of respect, especially because of the work he does to promote French. As he knows very well, I am a great francophile.

I would like to ask a question about the motion's content. The clerk can correct me, but it seems to me that the translation of motions or any other documents to do with the committee goes through an editing process in compliance with the standards found elsewhere. It is done by the Translation Bureau or by various departments.

Can the clerk explain to us the current process?

Noon

Bloc

Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC

Mr. Chair, I will answer my colleague Mr. Fergus if I may.

Mr. Fergus, the motion's wording specifies that we are talking about documents that have not been translated by the Translation Bureau and that do not come from a federal department. We could be talking about a document from a witness, for example.

Noon

Liberal

Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC

Okay, I understand. My apologies.