Government Operations Committee on Nov. 25th, 2010

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I don't know why we would vote for this, whether it's got the amendment or not, because it sort of undermines the work that we're about to do in about 15 minutes.

We're just about to go into a planning committee meeting and we will be locking ourselves into one specific witness who we may or may not want to talk about at our planning committee. I think we should put this aside or vote it down, and go to our planning committee meeting and talk about witnesses.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Mr. Warkentin or Mr. Gourde.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

We could accept a planning meeting, while taking my motion into account.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

We'll stand the motion down pending the subcommittee meeting. Is that correct?

Mr. Warkentin.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

One thing that came out of the last meeting was the desire of this committee to bring forward Mr. Bartolucci from the province of Ontario. He, of course, was the minister responsible for signing the contract with the federal government with regard to the security forces of the Ontario government. Now that we've received the information, or you, Mr. Chair, have received the information from the OPP, it would be important to have Mr. Bartolucci come to our committee in the coming days.

I'm just looking for a consensus from committee members that we include him in the consideration of witnesses and that we see him. I know that Mr. Regan had suggested that we should see him at this committee, but only after we had received this information. Now that we have received this information, I think it would be important that he be included in the list of people.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I'm assuming you could raise that matter at the subcommittee meeting as well.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

I'm getting a sense that.... I'm just looking for a consensus from committee members, if that's something they would like to do before we press on to the subcommittee.

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

I think it's something we can discuss at the subcommittee, Mr. Chair, and hash it out there.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

I don't think there's anything to hash out. Mr. Regan invited this to happen. I'm just sensing some unwillingness on behalf of the Liberals to have this--

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I don't actually have a motion in front of me, and unless you actually did make it a motion, I would be hard-pressed to carry on the conversation.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

I think I'd like to bring it forward as a motion. If we can expeditiously vote on it right now, that would be helpful.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Colleagues, Mr. Warkentin wishes to move that this committee call Mr. Bartolucci.

Madame Coady.

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

I'm not quite sure why we would have a subcommittee meeting if we're going to do the work here and now.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

What I find, Mr. Chair—

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

Excuse me. We're going to get into a list of people we would like to call before this committee. We have some suggestions. We have a calendar. That's the purpose of the subcommittee, to go into detail and talk about who we want to have and who we don't want to have.

I have a motion that I would like to present before this committee as well.

If we're not going to have a subcommittee, then we'll carry on and do the work here, but if we're going to have a subcommittee, I think that's the proper place to have this fulsome discussion.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

I can expedite this, Mr. Chair.

I would ask for unanimous consent to include Mr. Bartolucci as a witness for this upcoming week with regard to the hearings on the G-8 and G-20, so we'll move to the vote immediately.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

As a potential witness.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

As a witness.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I don't see unanimous consent.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, colleagues.

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

Could I give notice of a motion?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I think you can give notice of a motion outside of the meeting.

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

We now know that the Ontario Provincial Police have provided some copies of some information. I'm not quite sure what it is at this point in time. I'm going to put forward a motion that the committee orders the Ontario Provincial Police to provide it with a copy of the report detailing the final breakdown—because I'm not sure what we have yet—of the costs incurred by the OPP that they provided to the public safety committee. We're just asking for it to come here.

I would ask that the report be provided to this committee at the same time as it is provided to the public safety committee on December 1.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

You can raise that motion on the second if you're not satisfied with the subcommittee meeting.