Finance Committee on Oct. 8th, 2020

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Thank you.

When he made the announcement in terms of prorogation, he made sure that he made the announcement after there was a release of all the documents and not before. I don't think that would be an action of a government that was in any way trying to hide anything.

With that, Mr. Easter, while I didn't go through another 10 or 12 examples of the ways that we didn't redact things or we only redacted things that were absolutely necessary, I think I made my point in terms of going through the ESDC argument. I'll leave it at that.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you very much.

We will now turn to Mr. Julian. Then, hopefully, we can have a vote on the subamendment.

Mr. Julian, the floor is yours. We're on the subamendment.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I meant no disrespect. You saw me a few minutes earlier eating popcorn as I watched the brilliant filibuster. I will compliment Mr. Fraser, Mr. Fragiskatos and Ms. Dzerowicz for their filibuster.

As you know, Mr. Chair, I hold the record for filibusters in the House of Commons, on the Harper softwood lumber sellout, at 16 hours by myself. I always love a good filibuster. However, a filibuster has to reinforce your point. If I'd spent 16 hours before the natural resources committee arguing for the softwood lumber sellout that Mr. Harper imposed on us, I wouldn't have had much credibility.

Here's the problem. We have had—

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

On a point of order, Mr. Gerretsen.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Julian is speaking to filibustering. He's not speaking to the amendment to the amendment. He really needs to speak to the amendment to the amendment, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

We'll give him a little leeway, as others have had leeway, on his—

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Twenty seconds worth of leeway, right?

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

He's getting rolling on his points, relevant—

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Julian, I apologize if I interrupted your video clip. Maybe you want to start from the beginning again so you can capture the whole thing.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

That's not a point of order.

Mr. Julian, go ahead. You were winding up on your filibuster of the Harper government.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

My point is simply this, Mr. Chair: What we have heard from the last three Liberal members reinforces why we should be voting against the subamendment and voting through this motion.

The initial argument all along has been that the documents weren't provided and that committee members couldn't make a decision because the information wasn't available. By her own admission, Ms. Dzerowicz has another dozen pages of carefully prepared text that took days to prepare, and the same with Mr. Fragiskatos and with Mr. Fraser. That is meticulous. We have many Liberal Party operatives working overtime to produce all of this material to reinforce the subamendment.

The reality is that the argument the Liberal members of this committee have been using—

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

I have a point of information.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Hold it, Mr. Julian.

We have a point of order from Ms. Dzerowicz.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Well, it was more that Mr. Julian alluded to the fact that we already had the documents. The documents I was referring to were documents that were released by the government House leader's office. They were given to all members. They are not the documents that he was referring to. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

All right.

Go ahead, Mr. Julian.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My point is very simple. They have meticulously prepared presentations on the subamendment that reinforce the point that we've been making all along. Committee members have had access to the documents. We need the ability now to move forward. It's been more than 180 hours, with breaks and with suspensions, as you know, Mr. Chair, but really, the reality is that people who are watching us know full well that the Liberals have had access and have provided very, very well researched and fulsome arguments that were prepared days in advance. It means their fundamental argument that the committee isn't aware of the documents that have been distributed now for months falls through. Those filibuster points have undermined the principal Liberal position.

Let's get on with it. Let's vote on the subamendment, on the amendment, and on the motion.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

I agree. We should vote on the subamendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Okay. We're ready for the vote, I gather, on the subamendment. I will turn to you, Madam Clerk. We will have a voice vote on the subamendment. It's the best way to go.

Madam Clerk, the floor is yours.

[The Clerk]

Thank you.

First of all, I just want to verify the presence of members. The list that I have here for the members of the committee present and allowed to vote is as follows: Mr. Fraser, Ms. Dzerowicz, Mr. Fragiskatos, Mr. Gerretsen, Madame Koutrakis, Mr. Poilievre, Mr. Falk, Ms. Jansen, Ms. Vecchio, Monsieur Ste-Marie and Peter Julian. Is that correct?

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Did you miss Mr. Steinley?

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

I believe I'm here on behalf of Mr. Poilievre. I believe Mr. Poilievre is not here.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

On a point of order, documentation for that should have been submitted to the clerk if there's a subamendment.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

It was, Mark. Thanks.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Well, the clerk doesn't seem to know that, because she's not under the impression that you're supposed to be here.