Evidence of meeting #41 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was report.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Mel Arnold Conservative Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC
Through all of this debate, we could have fitted in more question rounds and simply avoided this. I have simply two questions. I want to know what data gaps were identified when they compiled the report and how they identified what those gaps were.
If I had a couple of minutes to ask those questions, we could have been past mine. Perhaps Mr. Small could have gotten his questions in as well, and we could have been finished.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Mr. Arnold, I am getting a sense that nobody would deny you the right to ask your one question left in this round.
Ms. Kronis.
Conservative
Tamara Kronis Conservative Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
The issue I have is that the motion asked that we receive all documents, not some documents. I was repeatedly shut down for relevance. The document I want to see is the one that asked for this report. The reason I want to see it is that this report is effectively homework that has been delivered. I want to see what the assignment was, because that tells us what this report will be used for. My questions were related to what this report will be used for, and I wasn't allowed to ask them. The documents we are missing are directly relevant and related to the questions I was asking.
This meeting wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to have two hours after we received all of the documents we asked for, not after we received some of the documents. I want all of the documents. The committee is required to comply with its motions, and right now we see a situation where the motion has not been complied with.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Madam Chair, clearly what we have here is one party that's disappointed it didn't find documents that would have suited its narrative.
The officials here explained quite clearly that this is not a report endorsing anything. It is a compilation of existing information within the ministry on a particular area of ocean in Canada. To say that full documents were not received.... We're being told that the committee has received all pertinent information.
Liberal
Ernie Klassen Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
I'll just expand on that.
The department has submitted all relevant information from the requests with regard to what this study was all about. No more information that was requested and was relevant is to be submitted to the committee.
Conservative
Tamara Kronis Conservative Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Paragraph (a) of the motion that led to the production of documents requires “all documents, including but not limited to memoranda, briefing notes, and internal communications, related to the decision to produce this report, including any requests for its preparation and associated allocation of resources”.
We do not have the request for its preparation. There's no agenda here. The only thing I want is all of the documents. I want this committee to comply with the motion. As my colleague said, if someone can show me where we have the “requests for its preparation and associated allocation of resources” from the DFO, then I would be happy to withdraw my question.
This committee has not complied with its own motion. We get into very dangerous territory in this place when we make motions and then don't comply with them.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you, Ms. Kronis.
Mr. Morrissey, yes, your name is down. I was going to ask a question, but go ahead.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Madam Chair, you're the chair of today's meeting, and there's been an accusation made that this committee is not following proper mandate and is not proceeding with a motion that's been adopted. I do not believe that's the responsibility of a member to make.
Conservative
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Some of us have sat through the whole committee process and listened to what was going on. We've been told ad nauseam that the department provided all the information that was requested. Obviously, it doesn't suit the official opposition and their narrative. They're still looking for something that doesn't exist.
Madam Chair, it's your call. You're chairing the meeting, and you make the decisions on procedure.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you. I am trying very hard to do that, Mr. Morrissey. I'm trying to stick to procedure according to the book.
We still have Mr. Arnold—you still have your one question.
Mr. Small, go ahead.
Conservative
Clifford Small Conservative Central Newfoundland, NL
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I heard Mr. Morrissey accusing our side, the Conservatives, of having an agenda. We don't have an agenda. This document production order was done on behalf of fishing industry stakeholders who feel threatened and feel that their family livelihoods are on the line. They feel that offshore wind is going to displace their livelihoods and push them off the fishing grounds they've continuously fished for generations.
I think we should get to continue our questioning.
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
That's not what we're discussing right now. We're discussing documents.
Mr. Deschênes.
Bloc
Alexis Deschênes Bloc Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC
Perhaps I can clarify, Madam Chair. I'm currently going through the documents received by the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, and I see that there is a request for advice. That tells me a request was made. If the witnesses could tell us more about the documents they submitted, that might answer everyone's questions.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you, Mr. Deschênes.
My next suggestion is this. If you asked for all documents the department had based on this specific subparagraph (b)(i), I'm going to ask DFO whether it sent all the documents it had, as outlined in subparagraph (b)(i).
You can't send something you don't have. Did you send everything that you did have?
Director General, Ecosystem Science Directorate, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I can testify for the department that we provided all the information that was requested in the motion. All the documents have been provided to the committee.
The first document that Member Deschênes pointed to is the initial call for science advice that, in the context of any major project, is always very general. The tasking—we put it that way—gets refined through discussions with our colleagues at aquatic ecosystems.
The third document that was produced for the committee is the planning note. You'll see that the discussion focused on the compilation of data for the four areas, as the report provides.
I don't know if my colleagues from the Maritimes region have anything to add in terms of the tasking.