Information & Ethics Committee on June 19th, 2025

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Thank you, Mr. Thériault.

In my experience in this committee, Mr. Villemure was given a bit more time on a number of occasions. We did the same for the NDP. I suggest that we do not amend the motion. However, during meetings and when we hear from witnesses, I can give the Bloc Québécois a bit more time if the other committee members agree. At other times, the witnesses were here for two hours, so we put the clock back to zero to give the Bloc Québécois and NDP a bit more time.

We encourage the other parties to take the time to ask the witnesses questions in order to stimulate discussion. If you agree, I could give you a bit more speaking time.

I think everyone agrees with that.

Thank you for raising that issue, Mr. Thériault.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Let us now move on to document distribution.

You have the floor, Ms. Lapointe.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I propose:

That only the clerk of the committee be authorized to distribute documents to members of the committee and only when the documents are in both official languages; and that all documents submitted to the committee in both official languages, that do not come from a federal department, members' offices, or that have not been translated by the Translation Bureau, be sent for linguistic review by the Translation Bureau before being distributed to members, and that the witnesses be advised accordingly.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Michael, you get the motion on working meals. I don't know why I left this one to you.

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

I move:

That the clerk of the committee, at the discretion of the Chair, be authorized to make the necessary arrangements to provide working meals for the committee and its subcommittees.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Just make sure to let the clerk know if there are any dietary restrictions or requirements, if you don't mind. We try to accommodate as much as we can. Sometimes what happens is that in the later hours we might have snacks, but over the lunch period, we'll have a meal. I want to make sure that everybody's dietary restrictions are accommodated.

We will now move on to the routine motion regarding travel, accommodation and living expenses of witnesses.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I propose:

That, if requested, reasonable travel, accommodation and living expenses be reimbursed to witnesses not exceeding two representatives per organization; and that in exceptional circumstances, payment for more representatives be made at the discretion of the Chair.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

We'll go back to Michael, finally, for access to in camera meetings.

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

I move:

That, unless otherwise ordered, each committee member be allowed to be accompanied by one staff member at in camera meetings and that one additional person from each House officer's office be allowed to be present.

That, during in camera meetings, committee members may be informed by the committee Chair of the MPs who have been designated as substitutes for permanent members, in order to know which MPs are authorized to speak and vote during these committee meetings. That only those who have been recognized and identified as such be authorized to speak, in keeping with the usual agreed rules of order and decorum.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Before I go to Mr. Barrett, I want to advise the committee members that other committees have been requesting that reports done by past committees get a response back from the government. There are two studies that we submitted to which we did not get a response back from the government because of prorogation. I would like—and Michael's going to propose a motion on this—to have the government respond to the reports.

I'm going to go to Michael for the motion.

Go ahead, Mike.

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

I do have those two motions I flagged for you, Chair, but I have additional routine motions that we didn't adopt.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

I'm sorry, Michael. I might have jumped the gun on the routine motions.

We're going to have to go back to—

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Chair, don't we continue with that motion first?

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Yes, there was a page missing.

The next routine motion is on the transcripts of in camera meetings.

Go ahead, Ms. Lapointe.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I propose:

That one copy of the transcript of each in camera meeting be securely retained by the committee clerk for consultation by members of the committee or by their staff; and that the analysts assigned to the committee have access to the in camera transcripts.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Michael, you have the one on notices of motion.

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

I move:

That a 48-hour notice, interpreted as two nights, be required for any substantive motion to be moved in committee, unless the substantive motion relates directly to business then under consideration, provided that:

(a) the notice be filed with the clerk of the committee no later than 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and no later than 2:30 p.m. on Friday;

(b) the motion be distributed to members and the offices of the whips of each recognized party in both official languages by the clerk on the same day the said notice was transmitted if it was received no later than the deadline hour;

(c) notices received after the deadline hour or on non-business days be deemed to have been received during the next business day.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

We will now move on to the motion regarding orders of reference from the House regarding bills.

Go ahead, Ms. Lapointe.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I propose:

That in relation to orders of reference from the House respecting Bills,

a) The clerk of the committee shall, upon the committee receiving such an order of reference, write to each member who is not a member of a caucus represented on the committee to invite those members to file with the clerk of the committee, in both official languages, any amendments to the bill, which is the subject of the said Order, which they would suggest that the committee consider;

b) Suggested amendments filed, pursuant to paragraph (a), at least 48 hours prior to the start of clause-by-clause consideration of the bill to which the amendments relate shall be deemed to be proposed during the said consideration, provided that the committee may, by motion, vary this deadline in respect of a given bill; and

c) During the clause-by-clause consideration of a bill, the Chair shall allow a member who filed suggested amendments, pursuant to paragraph (a), an opportunity to make brief representations in support of them.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

This next one is on the technical tests for witnesses, Michael.

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

I move:

That the clerk inform each witness who is to appear before the committee that the House Administration support team must conduct technical tests to check the connectivity and the equipment used to ensure the best possible sound quality; and that the Chair advise the committee, at the start of each meeting, of any witness who did not perform the required technical tests.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

We will now move on to whips' access to digital binders.

Go ahead, Ms. Lapointe.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I propose:

That the clerk of the committee be authorized to grant access to the committee's digital binder to the offices of the whips of each recognized party.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Finally, there is the routine motion on the maintenance of order and decorum.

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Do you want me to do that one?