Evidence of meeting #4 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was evasion.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
[Public proceedings resume]
I call the meeting back to order.
This is the Standing Committee on Finance, meeting number 4. We are now in public and we are now discussing the motion from Mr. Brison.
Go ahead, Mr. Brison.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Chair, I move that:
Whereas the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance expressed its desire for certain documents on October 6, 2010 and November 17, 2010;
Whereas this Committee recognizes the ruling of the Speaker of the House of Commons on March 9, 2011 in connection to those requests for documents;
Whereas the Government, in an effort to comply with the Speaker's ruling, did provide some documents during the third session of the 40th Parliament that were related to the F-35 and CF-18 programs; and
Whereas many of these documents were received by the Clerk but not distributed to Members of the Standing Committee on Finance during the third session of the 40th Parliament as they were not available in both official languages at that time;
Accordingly, the Committee requests that the aforementioned documents be distributed in both official languages at the first opportunity during this session.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Thank you, Mr. Brison.
On the speaking list I have Ms. McLeod first, please.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Thank you.
I would like to speak to the motion, but I would really like to propose an amendment. It really is going to accomplish the same thing, but it is going to keep it perhaps a little bit more simple. The proposed amendment would be:
Whereas many documents related to F-35's and CF-18's were received by the Clerk but not distributed to the Members of the Standing Committee on Finance during the third session of the 40th Parliament and as they were not available in both official languages at that time, the Committee requests that the aforementioned documents be distributed to the Members of the Standing Committee on Finance as well as the Standing Committee on National Defence in both official languages at the first opportunity during the session.
That's the proposed amendment.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Mr. Brison indicated that he would accept it as a friendly amendment.
(Motion withdrawn)
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
What you're presenting would actually become the motion the committee would pass. Are you okay with that, Mr. Brison?
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
People won't believe that there is something happening in this committee.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
We have a motion on future business from Mr. Mai, and we'll distribute that.
Would you read that into the record? Just give us 30 seconds to distribute it.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Hoang Mai NDP Brossard—La Prairie, QC
It's a motion to receive evidence from a previous session. I move:
That the Committee resume its study on Tax Evasion and Offshore Bank Accounts started in the previous session and, that the evidence and documentation received by the Committee during the third session of the 40th Parliament on the subject be taken into consideration by the Committee in this session.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
My only question is in relation to the notice of this motion. Did we receive adequate notice that we would deal with this matter today?
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Yes, we did, because orders of the day are committee business, so any member can move any motion related to future business.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
I was just curious, because I didn't see it before and I wanted to make sure that I had a chance to look at it.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
I understand some good work was done on this issue in the last session. I know that on our subcommittee on human rights, we quite often got trapped mid-study on one thing or another. I think this type of work shouldn't become passé, so I certainly would support bringing this forward.
While we're on this subject matter, are there any other aspects of the committee work from last time that we might consider bringing forward at another date? Maybe that's a separate discussion, Mr. Chair.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The government side has no problem continuing this study, but the timing is where we might have an issue, simply because of all the members who are no longer here who sat through many of those meetings. It was a very interesting discussion and a very interesting study.
I was going to propose that charities be studied, based on a motion made by Peter Braid that was unanimously agreed to by the House, which is also subject to a provision in the budget. I was going to suggest that it be studied first. I would agree to study this afterward.
That also gives time for the analysts and the clerk to actually develop a plan to educate those members who weren't present during those last studies on how far we had come and on what was discovered.
Those are my thoughts on it.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
On the charity issue, we dealt with a private member's bill in the last session. You're right that we have to deal with that from the budget.
Is there a timeline? I don't recall the timeline on dealing with the charity motion.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
I don't believe there was a timeline in motion M-559, but I would say it's important that we deal with it as soon as possible, because of the implication of the budget measure on charities. I know they're eager for us to look at it.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
I'm sure members will be hearing about it from charities.
Go ahead, Mr. Mai.