Government Operations Committee on May 5th, 2010

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

A point of order.

Mr. Warkentin is talking about things that have just been removed from the agenda. Whether it is the Correctional Service or Mr. Page, we said we would include them when we come back in September or October. It was a request on our part. Moving it... It is worthwhile listening quietly so that we can move forward.

As to SNC-Lavalin and Public Works and Government Services Canada, as I said, they are less than 15 minutes away by taxi. The people from SNC-Lavalin have contracts with the government, so they have to react to the needs of the committee. We are not going to start thinking about their needs, especially since I am sure that they want to talk to us, since Mr. Beaulieu has already said some things. If we put them on the agenda at another time, they will be more than ready.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I'm going to ask for the 31st. Mr. Martin suggested we look at a list of witnesses for green technology. That has to be what we are looking at. Are there specific suggestions...?

I'm sorry, Ms. Coady, you had the floor. Then I'm going to ask Mr. Martin if he has any specific suggestions.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I have some suggestions for the 31st and the 2nd. Hearing from Mr. Nadeau, he's completely okay with the 7th for SNC-Lavalin and Public Works. Either we move up the panel of the employees to May 31, or we leave them on the 2nd and add the companies. We wanted to hear, and I think it was Mr. Martin's suggestion that he'd like to hear—and I agree with him—the companies that have been involved, Upper Canada Solar Generation and the Renewable Energy Group. We had suggested various other companies come before this committee.

So that would be an opportunity, on the 31st, to have that panel.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Could you list them so that the clerk knows what companies he's supposed to call?

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

There was Upper Canada Solar Generation, the Renewable Energy Group, and Canadian Solar Incorporated. I think that's all, but I'll leave it open. Maybe Mr. Martin or someone else might have another suggestion, but I think those are the key ones.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

So you're giving three companies.

Mr. Martin, you were on the speakers list.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I think we should cluster them in panels, because I'm pretty sure we are running really tight on time to bring this to any kind of conclusion.

So I agree that Doug Maley, Sébastien Togneri, Andrew House, Scott Wenger, Kimberley Michelutti, André Morin, and even Sandy White could all be lined up there together. Those are the staffers who had direct contact with either Jaffer or Glémaud.

Then that same group of companies, we're already dealing with Ian Harvey, I believe, who is from HD Retail Solutions, on the 26th. I'm glad we're getting to him first, before the panel of the rest of Mr. Jaffer's clients, because I think he's the one who indicated there was a direct offer to get access to this money, and could have very valuable testimony.

I think that is the solution, to cluster them into panels. I've seen it work well before when they're in a specific category, and we can then have at it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Are you asking for panels by businesses? How would you like to do it?

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I suggested—I think that's what Siobhan suggested too—one panel of the five or six assistants to ministers, and one panel of the three or four clients of Mr. Jaffer and Mr. Glémaud.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Fair enough.

Ms. Coady.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

There are just two things.

I think that's a good panel. I very much support having one panel for the companies, one panel for employees on May 31, June 2.

I would like to ask in the interest of time, especially because we're having so many on the panel of staffers come before us, that they limit their speaking to three to four minutes, rather than having 10 minutes each, and then all of a sudden we have no time for questioning.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Agreed, because that is what we will instruct the clerk.

[An hon. member]

No speech.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

No speech at all?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Well, it is the committee's decision. If you don't want any speeches, then we'll tell the clerk. We can ask them to give two to three minutes to speak, if you want.

Mr. Holder, and then I'd like to see if we can close this.

[Ed Holder, Conservative, London West, ON]

I think this is all fair comment. It might be appropriate, for anyone around the table who wants to understand the background of our guests who attend--all of them--to give them two minutes, if appropriate, to explain who they are and their background. That might well be appropriate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mr. Martin.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I don't disagree with giving them a moment to introduce themselves, but we don't want a recitation of why they didn't do anything wrong and so on. They're there to answer our questions, not to give excuses.

I have only a minute, because I have to run away, but I would like some kind of a ruling or indication from the chair. I want a letter sent to both of those ministers expressing our dissatisfaction, and that their not being here is contrary to the spirit of openness that Mr. Baird is trying to portray in question period day after day.

I would very much like...and I'll move it as a motion, if you like: that the chair is directed to write a letter to the ministers stating, with all due respect, our extreme dissatisfaction with their decision not to attend when invited to our committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

All those in favour--

[An hon. member]

[Inaudible--Editor]

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

--no--of this decision by the chair to write a letter...?

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Isn't there opportunity to speak to this motion before we vote?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

The bottom line is that it's just a suggestion to the chair. I want to see if I can or I shouldn't send it.

So I will take the vote of the--

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Madam Chair, what I would say is that the letter that I see before me doesn't indicate that they won't.... They've stated their reasons for not being here. It's specifically because they aren't related to the issue that they were called here to talk about.

Madam Chair, it's important that we as a committee recognize exactly the rationale and the reasons for that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Ms. Coady.