Finance Committee on Nov. 6th, 2018

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

You said he would have to answer the question. You said, Chair, that he would answer the question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

And he is—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

That was your commitment. He hasn't.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

You're out of order, Mr. Poilievre.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

He hasn't answered the question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Minister, you have the floor.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

He has not answered the question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Shut off his mike.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

It's a yes or a no.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Shut off his mike.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

It's a yes or a no.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Minister, you have the floor.

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

I think I've made my point.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you, both.

We have Mr. Julian, for seven minutes.

[Blake Richards, Banff—Airdrie, CPC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair, before we move to the next round.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Yes.

[Blake Richards]

I've observed the time during Mr. Poilievre's opportunity to have an intervention here.

I've served as a member of Parliament for 10 years. I've served on a number of committees.

I have great respect for you, Mr. Chair. However, I would ask that you give us a bit more of a clear ruling on this.

It's based on this. On the committees I've sat on in the past, generally what I've seen the chair do is exercise the prerogative of the person with the time—the member—to use that time as they wish. If they feel that they need to move to an answer because a witness is taking too long and those kinds of things, they are able to do just that. I've always seen that. It's been the practice I've seen through 10 years on a number of different committees.

What I would ask, Mr. Chair.... I understand from what you've indicated what you believe the ruling should be, but could you please provide us with some documentation from O'Brien and Bosc, or somewhere, that would indicate why that ruling is being done? It certainly differs from the convention I've seen on every other committee I've sat on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

On the way we have tended to operate in this committee, we give equal time to the questioner and to the answer, and in the fullness of time I've felt a little leeway sometimes to the questioner and sometimes to the witness to give a little more of an answer so you have the fullness of an answer.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

On the same point, Mr. Chair—

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

That's the way I've tended to operate.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

On the same point, you did not give equal time. I asked short, pointed questions, to which the minister responded by giving speeches on unrelated matters, and you allowed him to go on much longer than my question. That is not how these proceedings are supposed to go. We are allowed to ask questions and demand answers from ministers. That's what this place is for.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Can we move on, or do you all want to waste time here?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

You are not the minister's bodyguard.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

I am not the minister's bodyguard. I have never operated that way and never will.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Today you did.