Information & Ethics Committee on June 4th, 2024

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

That is simply beyond the pale. Mr. Chair, that is outrageous behaviour by that member.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Mr. Barrett—

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Can I have my time? I've asked for two points of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

I'm going to you on your point of order.

Go ahead, Mr. Brock.

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

I have never in my almost three years of public service seen such disrespect of a minister—

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I have a point of order.

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

—for the procedures here at committee.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I have a point of order.

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

He's constantly talking over the witness, and now he's talking over the chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

I have a point of order.

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

It is conduct unbecoming.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

I have your point of order, Mr. Brock. I appreciate that.

Mr. Barrett, you were at 34 seconds in your intervention, so I'm going to ask you to ask your question and—

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

I'm sorry. Go ahead, Mr. Housefather, on your point of order.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Chair, referring to someone as corrupt is unparliamentary. I would ask that you order it be withdrawn.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

I'm sorry. You'd ask that I order it what?

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I would ask that you ask Mr. Barrett to withdraw those comments. It is unparliamentary to refer to someone as corrupt.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Mr. Barrett, I am going to ask that you withdraw those comments, please.

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

Alleged corruption by a corrupt government.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Barrett.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

That was not a withdrawal, Mr. Chair. That was a doubling down.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

We have a point of order from Monsieur Villemure.

[René Villemure, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

All members of the committee agreed to hear from Mr. Boissonnault so that he could explain the situation. However, for the moment, I can't understand what's being said because everyone is talking at the same time.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

That's what I said earlier.

I don't want this to descend into a point where everybody's talking over each other. I'm going to enforce that. I have been enforcing it, but I'm going to enforce it from this point forward. Otherwise, we'll be wasting our time here and we won't be able to ask the questions we want.

Mr. Barrett, you have 34 seconds. Do you have a question for Mr. Boissonnault? I want to give him an equal amount of time.

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

Through you, Chair, we'll give the minister an opportunity for transparency, for a first.

Minister, will you provide this committee a copy of the letter notifying in writing that you wanted to be removed as a director from this company? Further, will you provide any financial records related to this company?

Will you provide them to the committee?