Foreign Affairs Committee on Feb. 14th, 2008

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Is this a point of order, or debate?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

It is, because then this thing becomes unbalanced. It's against the NDP dictatorship, which they want—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Okay, we have Mr. MacKenzie coming after.

Mr. Obhrai, just one moment. I will accept that.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Talk about balance.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Mr. Dewar—

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

No, I welcome your response.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

On to your point, Mr. Dewar.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Yes. I just have a problem with the way this panel...not with our guests. I have an issue with the last-minute.... I got it late, and I apologize if this is--

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

At the last minute we were all looking for witnesses.

Everyone who is appearing today has been given very short notice as to their appearance today. In fact, the clerk at one point said she had tried eight. There were none of those eight, and some of these folks were able to come, so that's the reason.

We'll go back to your time, Mr. Dewar.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I'll go right to the questions.

I just want to put it on the record, in terms of the background of the Conference of Defence Associations, that you do receive money from both NATO and from the government. Is that a fact or not?

[Col Alain Pellerin]

Mr. Chair, can I address that?

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

It's a question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Go ahead.

[Col Alain Pellerin]

We do get a grant from the Department of National Defence. We've been in existence for 75 years—

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I understand.

[Col Alain Pellerin]

—and we've been receiving grants, so it's not a question of pointing a finger at this government.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

I'm not.

[Col Alain Pellerin]

The money we got from NATO is $5,000 to run our annual seminar next week—

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

That's good.

[Col Alain Pellerin]

—and that has nothing to do.... So you're putting aspersions on the character of the CDA, which is—

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

No, I'm not. I'm simply stating a fact, Chair, that the money they received.... I would ask the same of the panellists here, which I will in a second.

My question is actually to our guest, and it is this. For the record, since we're into it, it says here that under the contract that is received—

[Wajid Khan, Conservative, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Excuse me, I have the floor.

[Wajid Khan, Conservative, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

I have a point of order.