Evidence of meeting #41 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was request.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
I would like to additionally request that the government provide a report on the use of the hotel.
I don't know which agency would be best suited, but again I appeal to everyone's better angels that they be prepared to provide that information unless our wise clerk or analysts could perhaps prescribe who should be included there. The objective is to get a response from both parties on the use of the hotel.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Mr. Barrett—and I saw your hand, Mr. Fergus—what you're proposing would be a subamendment to Mr. Fergus' amendment, so if you want to be very clear as to what you want, whether it's the government or a department of the government under item 1, then I would ask that you be more specific on that.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
All of the departments can get back to me, but let's—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Right. Do you want to just leave it at the government, or do you want to be specific to a department?
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
I'm not sure if we're able to get guidance from the analysts, Mr. Chair, if that's appropriate, based on the evidence that has been gathered so far on who would be able to provide us with that information. I don't imagine that's outside the scope of what the Library of Parliament can advise us on right now while this is live, and yes, I would like to propose it as a subamendment.
This is in keeping with what Mr. Villemure said, but to be clear, though I was being clever with my response that we will hear from all of them, I would only elect to hear from the department that is most likely to be able to furnish us with the information in a timely way.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Is that something the analysts are able to provide us with?
Alexandra Savoie Committee Researcher
I was looking earlier at the blues because the official transcript is not out, and it was Mr. Paul-Hus who made the request for the report on the use of the hotel. He made it to a representative of PSPC, who referred to the CBSA in his answer. That's the only inkling I have that it perhaps would be the CBSA, but....
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
I kind of like Ms. Khalid's suggestion that we go for an “and/or” for Monsieur Guay and PSPC and the Canada Border Services Agency.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Mr. Chair, if I may, I would like to hear from Mr. Guay and PSPC and/or CBSA. We only need to hear from one department, but I want to hear from both the private entity as well as the department.
Is that clear enough? It would be “1) The Report on the use of the Hotel Saint-Bernard (Mr. Guay and CBSA and/or PSPC) ”.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
With regard to the subamendment, Mr. Fergus, is it a reasonable request?
Liberal
Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
I don't think it's going to make a material difference, but I don't want to be eating my words, because we've made the material distinction between the two. I think it's just easier to go with Madam Khalid's suggestion that “and/or” works better than “and...and/or”.
We're getting into the weeds here. I like the way we've been working collaboratively. I think there's a way for us to do it.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
I think we all want the same thing. We want to make sure that we get the most accurate information. I think that proposing this actually puts us in a better position to get the information that we're seeking from either/or, and/or Mr. Guay, PSPC and the Canada Border Services Agency.
Liberal
Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
The only reason I think it was good with Mr. Guay.... Monsieur Villemure heard the same thing that I heard, and I think we all heard it: that Monsieur Guay pretty much offered to provide us with that information, so I thought that was.... Let's just get it, and then no one says that there are commercial confidential reasons that they can't release it. If he does it, then it's great.
Liberal
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
But if there's more information that's required.... I think, from my perspective, what's being proposed here is that there may be other information that's available. That's the only thing that I see as being plausible here by asking the other two agencies.
Committee Researcher
I'm just looking again through the blues, and in one of his responses, Mr. Stéphan Déry specified that the hotel was leased at the request of the CBSA, so I think that would probably be the party to ask.
Liberal
Liberal
Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
I'm happy to amend my amendment to Monsieur Villemure's motion to concord if Mr. Barrett would agree to “Mr. Guay and/or CBSA” .
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
I would like to hear again from Mr. Guay and the government. It doesn't need to be “and/or” an additional agency. I accept that it's the CBSA, but ultimately I'd like to hear from both.