Finance Committee on Nov. 5th, 2020

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

Okay, why don't we just talk about that next week?

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

We're not requesting—

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

If we vote on this today, we release the evidence and documentation received by the committee. We already put on notice the Deputy Prime Minister and departmental officials that we want them to start coming; we've said that we want the subcommittee to figure out the dates on that; and then in the release of that evidence and documentation, we could all get access to those documents. For all of those reasons, that's the reason it would be good for us to vote on this today.

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

I agree. All I'm saying is let's just strike that reference to February 1, and have the steering committee look at it and come back to committee. That's all I'm asking. Everything else, I agree with, so let's—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

I agree with Peter on this one.

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

Yes, so let's just strike the reference to February 1, and everything else is fine. We move ahead. I agree with Mr. Poilievre on the three hours, I think that's probably a discussion we'll have at the steering committee too, but let's.... You've certainly convinced me of everything, we have a few minutes left, just strike February 1, and I guarantee that I'll be able to get a reference in a timely manner and come back and we can have that discussion around the deadlines at the steering committee, and then back here at the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

That would get us started.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

I'm okay with that. That would be a friendly amendment if we eliminated paragraph (g).

Madam Clerk, I haven't provided the updated one with the COVID-19 consultations. Actually, what I could do—because it takes me two seconds to do this—is just delete (g) and send you the updated version.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Go ahead, Mr. Poilievre.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

The only objection I have here is that we're calling for the Deputy Prime Minister and departmental officials to be here. I understand we're doing that in this motion. If we pass this, I would like to specify that it is our intention to have her here for three hours so we don't have one of these situations in which they come back and say, “Sure, we'd be happy to come in for an hour”, and then, as old Bill Morneau used to do, blow 15 minutes on their opener and then do a little bob and weave and be out the door without having addressed any of the real issues. We need the minister for three hours.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Just to make sure the record's clear, Mr Poilievre, Bill Morneau never went 15 minutes at committee. We always held him to 10. He might have gone to 11 at one time, but—

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

It felt like it was longer.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

—I don't think he bobbed and weaved. Let's be fair.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Each minute felt like two.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

He always, I felt, answered your questions very directly.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Yes, Mr. Fraser.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

If we just make it clear that it's three hours, then we can all agree to this motion with the adjustments that Mr. Julian's made, and in the spirit of collegiality that has characterized this entire engagement, we can move on, arms locked.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

I think I'm going to go to Mr. Fraser first, and then we'll come back to the motion.

Mr. Fraser.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

It strikes me that this is something that the subcommittee can probably sort out. I know you raised a technical issue. I would normally think three hours is excessive. I haven't seen that in my time as an MP, but I don't think we need to debate the merits of that here. I think this seems like the precise thing that the subcommittee exists for—to sort out this plus the technical detail that you mentioned around meeting slots and time availability given the number of committees. Can we do the same thing on this time commitment for the minister's appearance that we did with the timeline for our report—just deal with it at subcommittee rather than sort it out here?

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

I think that's a fair suggestion.

The motion is on the floor.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Does everybody have the updated motion? I deleted paragraph (g).

I sent it to you, Madam Clerk. It's version six.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

We understand that the time frame is—

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

I moved from version two to six today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

We'll go to the vote on the motion.

Madam Clerk, could you do the go-round?

(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Just for members' information, we will try to get a subcommittee meeting as quickly as possible given the conditions under which we operate in this place at the moment.

With that, thank you all—