Madam Chair, I see that our witnesses are present, namely Mr. Doug Maley, Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta Region, and Mr. André C. Morin, Valuation and Payments in Lieu of Taxes Programs. However, I would like to know why the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, the Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario) and the Minister of Natural Resources are here today, given that they were not invited to testify.
Madam Chair, committees are an extension and a creation of the House of Commons. The rules that govern the proceedings of the House of Commons also apply to committee operations. However, our Standing Orders are more explicit when it comes to witnesses in committee because, as you know, witnesses are not permitted on the floor of the House of Commons. In committee, however, witnesses are generally present for reports and studies. The generally accepted principle is that committees are master of their own proceedings. As such, the committee decides who it would like to call as a witness. At this time, I would like to read from page 1063 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice where the following is noted:
Witness selection may be carried out in a number of different ways. Generally, witnesses are proposed by individual committee members. The committee may also invite potential witnesses to indicate their interest in appearing. The selection is often delegated to the subcommittee on procedure and agenda, subject to the ratification by the main committee. [...] It is the committee's responsibility to determine which witnesses it will hear. Practical considerations, such as the length of time allocated for a study, may limit the number of witnesses the committee will be able to accommodate.
Madam Chair, it is not up to the witnesses to decide when they will appear before the committee, much less to appear in place of other witnesses who have been called to testify. Through their actions, the Conservatives, and in particular the three ministers that have come here today, are displaying arrogance and contempt for the committee, which was democratically constituted pursuant to the Standing Orders of the House of Commons. They are showing contempt for the democratic process. Once again, the Conservatives are behaving as if they are above the rules. They are demonstrating their utter lack of respect for our democratic institutions like the House of Commons and its committees. They are showing their true colours by exhibiting their utter contempt for Parliament. Their actions prove, Madam Chair, that they are incapable of living with democracy, as this committee is a by-product of democratic will. The best proof we have of this is the composition of this committee. Government members are in the minority on this committee, just as the Conservatives form a minority Parliament, further to the exercise of the democratic will of the people of Quebec and of Canada. By coming here today, these ministers are displaying their arrogance.
Last May 25, Mr. Hill, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, attempted to bring in a new set of rules governing the appearance of witnesses. He announced that political staffers would no longer be permitted to testify before committees.
Mr. Hill decided unilaterally to rewrite the Standing Orders. Since he wasn't happy with the old ones, he decided to rewrite them to suit himself. I'm sorry, but we won't be a party to this charade. It has gone on long enough. You must respect democracy, regardless of what the government leader might think. He can try and strong-arm us all he wants, but there are rules in place here.
Ministerial staffers have been called to testify and they must do so, in accordance with the Standing Orders. They will be subpoenaed. If they chose to ignore the subpoena, we will present a motion to the House of Commons, one that will subsequently be debated. These individuals will be found in contempt of Parliament. When you receive an invitation, sirs, then you can come here and testify.
In fact, the committee invited Mr. Paradis, the Minister of Natural Resources to come and testify on May 4 last, but he declined. And now, he shows up here today, even though he was not invited. When the committee needs to draw on his expertise for a study, then it will invite him back.
Today, Madam Chair, I am asking you to let these uninvited ministers know that they are not welcome here and that we will press ahead with our plans to hear from political staffers who were responsible for decisions that were made. They are the ones we want to hear from. We will invite the ministers back at another time, if that is what the majority of committee members decide.
Thank you.