Information & Ethics Committee on Nov. 1st, 2023

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

I call the meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 89 of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely by using the Zoom application.

I will remind everyone about the interpretation and keeping earpieces away from the microphones.

I'm going to open up the meeting. There's only one order of business today, and that's to deal with the committee's request to have the documents related to ISED given to us by 5 p.m. yesterday. You'll recall that we did pass a motion to have those unredacted documents produced to the committee by 5 p.m. yesterday.

The deadline came and went yesterday. I asked the clerk several times to contact department officials to make sure we had the documents. I think it was shortly after five o'clock yesterday, Madam Clerk, when they said they needed more time. I gave them more time in good faith, until 10 o'clock this morning. This morning several requests were made to department officials to get the documents to us by 10 a.m. At 10:03 this morning, they said they needed more time, and, as far as I'm concerned, that wasn't acceptable.

We had passed a motion to have these documents produced for us by 5 p.m. yesterday. What I need is some direction from the committee as to where you want to go with this issue at this point. Right now, that's the only order of business we have. Unfortunately, because of this, I have had to cancel with the European group we were supposed to meet with, but this is pressing and it defies a committee motion, so I want to make sure we deal with it as quickly as possible.

Mr. Barrett, go ahead, please.

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

Thank you, Chair.

I have a motion I'd like to move. I just sent it to the clerk and have asked that it be sent to the interpreters. I want to check to make sure it has been sent before I read it, and then I'd like a quick chance to speak to it.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Okay—

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

On a point of order, Chair, can you clarify something? We did get a redacted copy, which was distributed, but we didn't get the unredacted copy we asked for in the motion. Is that correct?

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

That's correct.

The motion that was passed on Monday was that the—and you moved the motion, so—

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Well, I edited it, but yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

You amended the motion that the unredacted copy of the report was to be in our hands by five o'clock yesterday afternoon. I spoke about the circumstances and the effort that was put into getting those documents to the committee. They weren't given to the committee. I actually, in good faith, as I said, Ms. Damoff, extended the deadline to 10 o'clock this morning. We still didn't receive them, and here we are.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

No, that's fine, but we did get a redacted copy.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

We did.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Okay. Thanks, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, we do have a motion that came before us, right?

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

We have a motion in English only, so the interpreters have the text and will provide interpretation.

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

I'm going to move the motion as a matter at hand.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Okay. On the matter at hand, Mr. Barrett, go ahead with your motion, please.

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

I move:

That the Committee, considering the government's unsatisfactory response to the order adopted on October 18, 2023, and its failure to respond to the order adopted on October 30, 2023, orders the Department of Industry to produce the unredacted version of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton's “Fact-Finding Exercise Report” for Sustainable Development Technology Canada, in both official languages, within 24 hours, provided that if this order is not satisfied, the Chair be instructed to present the following report to the House forthwith: Your Committee recommends that an Order of the House do issue for the unredacted version of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton's “Fact-Finding Exercise Report” for Sustainable Development Technology Canada, provided that it shall be laid upon the Table, in both official languages, no later than the sitting day following the adoption of this Order.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Before I give you the floor, we're dealing with some ambiguity here, because it says “within 24 hours”. I need you to specify that it's “within 24 hours of adoption of this motion”, just to be clear, because that's not in there. If we go until 6:30, then.... We've done this before when we haven't been specific, so I want to be specific.

Mr. Barrett, go ahead.

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

My intent is that it's within 24 hours of the adoption.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Perfect. Thank you.

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

If the motion is in order, I'd like to speak to it.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

The motion is in order, and I'm going to give—

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Was the motion available in both official languages?

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

I don't know.

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Can we suspend?

Personally, I read the motion very quickly, but it needs to be more comprehensible in French. There are two official languages in Canada.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

We will suspend for five minutes.

Is that enough time for you, Madam Clerk?

[The Clerk]

I am not translating the motion. I am not a translator, I'm a clerk. I put in a request with the translation service, and was told it had been accepted. However, I can't say how long it will take to translate the motion, as that is not my responsibility.