Government Operations Committee on June 2nd, 2010

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Order.

Mr. Cullen, you have the floor.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Clearly, today the committee has sought, in its wisdom, to call forward the people most directly implicated in--

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

We're here to give you the truth. You can't handle the truth.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Madam Chair....

[An hon. member]

Call the security.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Order.

Mr. Baird, don't interrupt.

Yes, Mr. Cullen.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I find the minister has more affectations for Hollywood than he does Parliament.

He should know that in this place, the power of parliamentary committees rules over considerations of any partisan interests. It is the power of this committee to call witnesses forward to find the truth of the matter. This is what the opposition has attempted to do.

In all earnestness and respect to the government, they must abide by it. Otherwise, they threaten the very foundations on which this House of Commons is built; they threaten through their tactics of prorogation, intimidation of officers of Parliament, and cutting of funding to programs that have the audacity to criticize the government's policies. These are all dangerous paths that the government is on right now. It must reverse course and allow witnesses forward who can actually bring testimony, actual evidence, to allow Canadians to understand what happened in this affair. It is incumbent upon the government to do it.

I thank you for the committee's time, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you.

I've heard from all sides, and I'd like to make a ruling.

I am disappointed, as everybody is, that witnesses who were invited today have not shown up. But we have two witnesses who have shown up--Mr. Maley and Mr. Morin--and we are continuing our study.

So I would request that the committee focus their questions—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

—on Mr. Maley and Mr. Morin, and if you have--

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I'll have to throw you out of this committee, Mr. Baird, because you can't—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I'm a member of Parliament.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

—have a point of order here.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Could you turn off his mike?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

So to the committee, I could ask you—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

—if you want to ask a question—

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

—of the ministers, you can--

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Point of order, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

--but we can, if we want to--

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Point of order.