Information & Ethics Committee on April 23rd, 2021

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Colleagues, there are a couple of things. Number one is I don't want to blow up anything here in terms of what I see as a pending agreement. There is an issue of the technical capacity to produce a translated report and report it back to the House within two days. I just want to warn members that even if we move down this road, there may be some additional delays on the technical side.

Having said that, I do like the idea that members would agree to a time frame and an outcome. We'll have to suspend the meeting to allow for something to be put in writing. If there's general support from the committee, we can move outside the speaking order to allow for this, and I will take a general sense of agreement of...as long as nobody's resisting it, I'll accept that's unanimous consent to proceed in this way.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

I have a point of clarification, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Mr. Angus.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

My understanding was two more meetings and we're wrapping it up. I don't think we're expecting that we'd have a report done in two meetings because our analysts are extraordinary, but it probably wouldn't be the best report. The maximum of two meetings is to wrap up all the extra pieces of this report so we're done and they have their instructions in that time. Am I correct in my understanding?

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Before we suspend so something gets in writing....

Mr. Sorbara.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Chair, this is the first time I've spoken at today's meeting, and I want to speak to MP Angus's comments. I hope we can get as quickly as possible to the Pornhub/MindGeek study and get that done, and get the WE study done. We have lots of work to be done, Charlie, and I'm in full agreement with everything you've said today of the intentions. I'm here, I'm listening and I want to thank Mr. Barrett for bringing this forward.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Thank you, Mr. Sorbara.

I think we're getting a lot of agreement here. We will suspend for 10 minutes. I'd ask that members of all parties work together to have something that might be a collaborative outcome. We'll have to have that translated and circulated. As soon as you can, I'd ask that you provide the text to the clerk, so it can be translated and distributed.

The meeting is suspended.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

We are at the 10-minute point. I'm not aware of what discussions have happened or not happened. I am seeking committee members' decision in terms of where we go from here.

Currently, I have on the subamendment a speaking list that still exists. Ms. Shanahan still has the floor, followed by Mr. Dong, Mr. Sorbara and Mr. Barrett, and then Mr. Sorbara, Mr. Fergus, Ms. Shanahan, Mr. Angus and Ms. Lattanzio.

If there is a—

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

I would like to withdraw my name from the speaking order to speed things up.

Thank you, sir.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Thank you.

I have Ms. Shanahan and Mr. Dong, then Mr. Barrett. As for Mr. Barrett, my sense is that his own condition to his own unanimous consent support for withdrawing his motion would be the condition of the later point, which is this other motion. I suspect what would be helpful right now is that we wait until the new, proposed motion is translated and circulated so that committee members can either support or not support it. Then we can probably move through this expeditiously.

Mr. Barrett.

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

Mr. Chair, my proposal, in both official languages, is in everyone's mailbox.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Okay, folks. Let me suspend for the next three minutes to allow members to read and to review. I think that's the courtesy that would be helpful.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

I call this meeting back to order.

On my speaking list right now, I have Ms. Shanahan, Mr. Dong and Mr. Barrett.

I know it's been a little bit unorthodox what we've done over the last number of minutes with the attempts to build a consensus and to build some type of resolution to what has been a very lengthy meeting. It's gone on now for days.

Ms. Shanahan still has the floor. Mr. Dong has the floor on the debate on the subamendment. I suspect that Mr. Barrett is not able to move any motion until such time as he actually has the floor.

I'll turn to Ms. Shanahan.

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

I think that this is a positive development. I certainly welcome it. I think it's a sign of what we can do in this committee. I have nothing further to say other than that I welcome this development of the removal of the subamendment by Mr. Barrett.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Mr. Dong.

[Han Dong, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I don't have much to add. I do agree with Mr. Angus's point. Maybe we should check with the analysts or the clerk to see if it's possible to meet these deadlines. I see that the report has to be completed by June 1. I think the time is quite reasonable. I just want to double-check if it's possible for them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Thank you.

We'll turn to our analysts now.

[Ryan van den Berg, Committee Researcher]

Thank you, Chair.

The analysts have drafted a report based on the proposed draft outline that was distributed to the committee a few weeks back, but I don't believe that we ever received formal approval for it. However, with that caveat, if we don't receive any other evidence or other witnesses, we do have a draft report, which is fairly lengthy. We would have to double-check with translation to see if that would be possible to have for distribution to the committee before June 1.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Thank you very much.

I do believe that a month should allow for translation of a report, and that's what we're looking at with this suggestion.

Thank you. I know that the analysts have been working to try to keep up with us. What I'll do—

[Han Dong, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Is this on a point of order, Mr. Dong?

[Han Dong, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Yes, after listening to the analysts, is it possible to build in some flexibility for June 1, just in case? I know that it's going to be a lengthy report. In general, I welcome the change. I'm willing to support it, but in terms of technicalities, I just want to make sure that we have a fulsome report on this study.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Before we start the debate with regard to the motion that I suspect will be proposed here shortly, probably the most appropriate thing to do is for Mr. Barrett to have the floor. If everyone before him cedes the floor, we'll go to Mr. Barrett, and then we can begin the debate with regard to the motion that he may present.

Mr. Barrett.

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

Chair, as discussed, I would seek unanimous consent to withdraw my subamendment, based on the word of my honourable colleagues that we can expeditiously—that is, today—pass the motion that has been circulated to members, with the caveat that if translation doesn't permit for June 1, the committee would be able to of course grant an extension to ourselves for that report, solely on that basis. This is just so that the committee can move ahead. I'm going to propose this on the understanding that all members who support that motion support the proposal that I've made and circulated to them.

Chair, I'm just looking for unanimous consent to withdraw my subamendment to Mr. Fergus's amendment.