Evidence of meeting #19 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was communities.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC
…which reads as follows:
That the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates undertake a study to investigate the many overcharged projects for the management of federal buildings that were granted by the Department of Public Works and Government Services to SNC Lavalin without following the rules, and that the Committee report its findings to the House.
I am making this request for the following reasons.
This is a situation that should be of great concern to us as members. We are talking here about the management of several millions of dollars from Canadian taxpayers.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
Before he started to speak, I asked that we move in camera. I actually asked to move. If we have not—
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
A point of order, Mr. Chair. If we did not suspend, I asked to go in camera. We should move in camera before any announcements are made by any other members of the committee.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
5:15 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pat Martin
Just a minute. It's a point of order. It's a legitimate point of order, and my ruling on it is that the clerk asked me if we were going to suspend the meeting. I said, “No, we're going to carry on, in the interest of time”. Mr. Mathieu then said, “May I have the floor to go ahead?” At that moment, you said, “Are we going to go in camera or not”, and I said no at that time.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
No, you did not, Mr. Chair. I challenge you on that. I'm challenging the chair.
I asked to go in camera. There was an indication that we were going in camera. We were under the impression that we were under suspension, as we normally are between groups, which we did even today between groups, between sessions, on our agenda.
I am challenging you. I moved to go in camera. It's a debatable motion. If we were not suspended, we should have moved to that directly, before any announcements from the opposition.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pat Martin
Actually it isn't a debatable motion. A motion to go in camera is voted on immediately. You didn't specifically say “I move this”. In fact, you weren't even in your seat, Mike; you were standing and walking back to shake hands with that guy. In the interim I went ahead and....
5:20 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pat Martin
You're challenging the chair. The quickest thing would be to just go ahead with your motion to go in camera now.
5:20 p.m.
NDP
5:20 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Pat Martin
Obviously it wins. Nobody is playing games with you.
We will suspend for 45 seconds to go in camera.
[Proceedings continue in camera]