We don't want him on Tuesday.
Evidence of meeting #1 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was going.
Evidence of meeting #1 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was going.
9:55 a.m.
Conservative
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Madam Chair, I was just going to say the same thing. If we can't get him on Thursday, can we get him the next Tuesday?
9:55 a.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
Madam Chair, wouldn't it be easier if you just had a motion and then we could vote on it and then move on?
I move that the first meeting of next week on Tuesday will be an orientation meeting, and on the Thursday meeting we will invite Mr. Morgan to appear for the full time.
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
He is moving a motion that we have orientation Tuesday morning, and that we invite Mr. Morgan for two hours Thursday.
(Motion agreed to)
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
Done. Solved.
Is there anything else you want to discuss before we go?
Monsieur Bonin.
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Raymond Bonin Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
Yes, Madam Chair.
You'll notice that the Bloc Québécois is like an echo in the back all the time. They always have an agenda. So I'd like to suggest that on this committee, for a change, when they have something that they want to surprise us with....
If I want something new to happen, I will lobby all parties and say I'd like to do this at the meeting today, here is my intention, and then you judge on your own. But when we throw things just to surprise everybody because the committee is not organized, as they do all the time, I will resist every time, because we never know what's in the back of their minds when they say, I want to see this person, or I want to do that.
So I would suggest that the Bloc Québécois, in the future, lobby us and share with us where they're going. If there's nothing to hide, tell us before we start this meeting so that we can have a little discussion and say maybe we support you, maybe we don't. But throwing it--
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Raymond Bonin Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
So I will resist every time they have these surprises, because I've been in that chair for many years, and I've had my load of surprises. That's why I resisted today, and I'll resist every time. Nothing prevents them from coming early, talking to us and saying they'd like to see this gentleman next Tuesday. Then we can react and we can have at least a warning that things are coming.
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
Monsieur Bonin, with all due respect, I suggested that because I felt that we had not been sitting for a very long time and I wished to see the committee move forward quickly. So I did mention it to Madame Thibault, and she was in agreement with me. I just wanted to make sure that you knew that, that it was not the Bloc Québécois. It might have been their idea as well, but it was also mine.
9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Raymond Bonin Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
I will apologize to Madame Thibault, but then I will say to you that if you are going to do this kind of stuff, do it with all parties.
9:55 a.m.
Bloc
Caroline St-Hilaire Bloc Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
Madam Chair, with all due respect to my colleagues, particularly to new members, I would like to clarify one point. We apologize for having prepared ourselves for this meeting. If my colleagues from other parties failed to do so, that is their problem. What we are suggesting this morning should not come as a surprise. It is in keeping with what we learned through the news. We keep up with current events and House business. This is not news. If some of my colleagues do not have a complete picture, they can ask questions.
9:55 a.m.
Bloc
Louise Thibault Bloc Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
You will understand that I simply do not agree with what my colleague is saying. Think about it, we haven't even had time to work together. During the last Parliament, I found it extraordinary that during 99.9 p. 100 of the time that we sat together on this committee, there was absolutely no show of partisanship. Today, there are people who are making harmful allegations about the Bloc Québécois, and some are directed at me because I was here last year. Indeed, it is a great pleasure for me to come back again this year. You will understand that I can't have any of this and I am completely against this way of working.
In addition, the number of nomination certificates is included in the documents sent to us by the committee clerk. The issue is whether or not we want Mr. Morgan to appear as a witness. All I did with respect to the potential work we can do here, was make a suggestion. I heard somebody say that we were working behind the scenes, something I find completely unacceptable. I expect my colleague to withdraw his comments in their entirety. He has never seen me work behind the scenes, nor did my colleagues see me work in that way last year. I find it unbelievable that somebody is making totally unjustified accusations prematurely.
10 a.m.
Liberal
Raymond Bonin Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
Madam Chair, when I spoke, I did not name my colleague. I talked about the Bloc Québécois. Therefore, I do not have to apologize to my colleague. I cannot criticize her because I have never sat on a committee with her. However, I have sat on a committee with her colleague, and that it why I understand the Bloc Québécois' strategy.
10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
I sat with Ms. Thibault, and I have always found her to be extremely fair. She carried out her work and was well prepared. Everything was fine and we got along well. Since we are the only two people to have sat on this committee previously, we should perhaps apologize because we were moving too quickly. We have a list of people we want to hear from, and we must begin our work. Apologies are in order if people did not understand clearly. I hope that things will improve as of today.
Is there anything else that anybody wants to bring forward?
Yes, Ms. Nash.
10 a.m.
NDP
Peggy Nash NDP Parkdale—High Park, ON
I want to say that I'm a new MP and this is the first time I'm sitting on a parliamentary committee. While I know that often our debates within the House are extremely partisan, and of course we bring that with us here to the committee, I hope we don't get off on the wrong foot. I think we're all here to make a difference and to do good work, and I found the comments earlier by my colleague not very helpful in terms of getting off on that right foot. I think it is important that we all respect each other as individuals, regardless of our party affiliation. I really hope that's the spirit we all bring to this committee.
10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Diane Marleau
I had the good fortune of sitting on this committee for the last year and a half, and I found that we were able to work well. We worked closely. We put forward whistle-blowing legislation and made some dramatic changes to that legislation. The object was to have the best piece of legislation possible. I believe we did very good work as a committee, and I expect that we will do the same kind of work.
I will end the meeting with this, seeing as there's nothing else on the agenda. We will see all of you Tuesday morning at nine o'clock, and I will meet with the subcommittee on Monday afternoon. The clerk will find a room and a time for us.
Thank you.
