Information & Ethics Committee on May 16th, 2022

[Lisa Hepfner, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

You can go with the next person.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

Thank you.

Mr. Williams, go ahead.

[Ryan Williams, Conservative, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to move a motion that I gave notice for a few weeks back. I'll read into the record.

I move:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h)(vii), the Committee conduct a study into the Access to Information and Privacy system, which routinely violates its own mandate for open government through delays and mismanagement; that the study consist of no fewer than five meetings; and that the committee report its findings to the House.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

The motion is in order.

Is there debate?

We'll go to Mr. Kurek, followed by Ms. Khalid.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would move an amendment and acknowledge some consultations. I move that we strike the words “which routinely violates its own mandate for open government through delays and mismanagement” from the motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

The amendment is in order.

Is there debate on the amendment? I see none.

(Amendment agreed to)

Is there any discussion on the main motion as amended?

Seeing none—

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I'm sorry, Chair. Can you read the motion as amended?

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

I'll ask the clerk to do so.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

We all have it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

Have you all got a copy? Is it translated?

[A voice]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

Ms. Khalid asked that it be read as amended, but do you now have it with sufficient clarity for the question?

I'm going to have the clerk read it anyway.

Go ahead, Madam Clerk.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Nancy Vohl]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The motion as amended would be:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h)(vii), the Committee conduct a study into the Access to Information and Privacy system, which routinely violates its own mandate for open government through delays and mismanagement; that the study consist of no fewer than five meetings; and that the committee report its findings to the House.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, all those—

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

You have to give us a few moments. We're trying to—

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

I kind of did. That was the few moments.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

That was a few seconds, unfortunately.

Thank you, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

If you have an intervention, please go ahead now.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I do.

I wanted to ask a question through you, Chair, to Mr. Williams. This seems to be a very broad study. What, specifically, is the objective of this?

I know that we haven't really debated this motion much. I would very quickly like to ask the member that.

[Ryan Williams, Conservative, Bay of Quinte, ON]

I think we've seen it today, Mr. Chair. I think the testimony speaks for itself and I think this study will further investigate and make sure that we're not only hearing the evidence, but we're putting recommendations through to Parliament to make the changes needed.

I think that over two years or 80 years, as some of the evidence has suggested, is far too long. This is a mandate that Canadians want to see. This is a good study to get some good recommendations to Parliament in order to fix that. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

Thank you.

Is there any other discussion on the motion?

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I want to clarify again. The whole office is very vast and big. We saw through our questioning today just how many different aspects there are. I'm very much in support of doing this study. I'm just wondering if the member wants to narrow the scope of that study at this time. This would be a good time to do it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

You may think so but, in fact, the member would not be able to procedurally, because it would require an amendment to his own motion. If you have a suggestion for how to narrow it, you could put it forth in the way of an amendment. Otherwise, the question is the question. That's what we'll have to vote on.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

You can ask the question, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

All right.

Is there any other debate on the motion?

I see no other requests to further intervene in debate.

(Motion as amended agreed to)

We have a few moments left. If anyone else wishes to put a question to the commissioner, this is your time.

Go ahead, Mr. Kurek.