Evidence of meeting #24 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was program.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Would you not agree that COVID, in this situation, is a situation of duress?
Editor in Chief, The Charity Report
Let me tell you about the people I know who were applying to that program. Fifteen young people who were mentoring young students in the neighbourhood of Jane Street and Finch Avenue, which is one of the least livable neighbourhoods in Toronto, were among the people who applied for that—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Ms. Picco, there are people who either need the money or don't. If they need the money, they're under duress. If they don't need the money, then they don't, frankly, need that employment.
When you speak about the elite of Canada, you're quite right. This whole program was about the elite. This was about the ultra-elite of this country having access to other powerful people. You actually framed it quite right.
What I find disconcerting is this idea, somehow, that the saviour complex of the charitable sector goes into inner city and racialized communities. Having an event at a school in Montreal is very different from having the relationships within the community to be able to partner the students with these events. If I recall, Ms. Picco, you yourself raised questions about its ability to match the 35,000 students to the organizations that would be required to actually do this program.
Do you still stand by the fact that charitable and non-profit work is essentially a relationship and not a transaction?
Editor in Chief, The Charity Report
I think that using schools to access racialized communities makes sense.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Is it the same, though, in terms of the organizations that surround the school? It's one thing to have a relationship with a principal. It's another thing to have a relationship with the non-profit community sectors that are actually rooted in those communities.
Liberal
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
I have a point of order, Mr. Chair. I just find that on a few occasions today we've had witnesses borderline badgered: asked a question and then told what their answer is. I think it must be an incredibly frustrating experience for experts like the ones we have before us to come before our committee today to give us their considered and expert opinion and then be lectured on what their opinion should be. I just find that very aggravating.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Mr. MacKinnon, thank you for your commentary. As you know, as your chair, I pay very close attention to the testimony given and to the questions asked. I have always insisted that all committee members treat all of our witnesses with the utmost respect, and that, of course, is reciprocal.
I know that the questions, in some cases, were very pointed, but I did not find anyone on this committee—in my opinion, at least, Mr. MacKinnon—to be badgering a witness. I find that the witnesses are well prepared and extremely knowledgeable and, quite frankly, can handle themselves without your assistance. That's, again, only my opinion.
The reality is that we are completely out of time. Regardless of whether we want this discussion to go forward or not, we are out of time. However, given the fact that Mr. Green has posed a number of scenarios that witnesses did not have an opportunity to respond to, I would ask that they do so in writing.
I see your hand up, Mr. Green. We'll go to your final point.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, if I can, through you to the clerk, as a point of privilege.... A point of privilege would be an example of when my abilities to function as an MP are being disrupted, interrupted or, in fact, obstructed. Is that correct?
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Okay. I need to state this for the record, Mr. Chair. This is now my fifth meeting. The Liberal members of every committee that I've been on have used points of order to disrupt my interventions, to the point where he cut off 20 seconds of the last part of my question. I want to go on the record to state that this is not the way these committees should be operating. I hope that they cease this.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Thank you for your comments. I have one point of clarification. You did not have 20 seconds left; you had a few seconds left. However, I appreciate your comments. Again, as chair, I have been paying extremely close attention to all testimony. When, from time to time, I need to intervene, I will. I give most committee members a fair amount of latitude because I respect the members of this committee.
However, with that, we are completely out of time. I would like to thank all of our witnesses who have appeared before us today. If you have additional testimony that you think would be beneficial and instructive to our committee, please submit it to our clerk as quickly as possible. You are excused. Thank you, all.
Colleagues, I will not be suspending.
Managing Director, Charity Intelligence Canada
Thank you, sir. That was a very well-run meeting.
Liberal
Managing Director, Charity Intelligence Canada
It's nothing like the finance committee. Don't worry. You guys are well behaved.
Managing Director, Charity Intelligence Canada
Don't.... Feel free to call me with follow-ups.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
Colleagues, if you recall, a number of weeks ago we agreed as a committee to schedule time for Nuctech to provide testimony. That meeting is scheduled for August 24. However, at the time, we did not set a deadline for Nuctech to submit documents to our committee. In the interim, what I and our clerk have done is contact Nuctech and set, on the assumption that this committee would support us, a deadline of August 21 for all documents to be submitted. That would be three days in advance of our next meeting dealing with Nuctech.
However, procedurally, we have to have a motion adopted by this committee to set a firm deadline. The motion that I will present to you en anglais—and then I will ask Angela to do it en français—is the following:
That all documents sent for in the order adopted by the committee on Thursday, July 23, be submitted to the committee no later than 12:00 p.m. on Friday, August 21 EDT and that the documents be posted on the committee's web page as soon as possible after they are received.
Mr. McCauley.
Conservative
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Sorry to interrupt, but I don't recall us asking for documents for this motion—not that I wouldn't welcome them. I thought we just asked for officials from PSPC, Global Affairs and the Communications Security Establishment for briefing.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Tom Lukiwski
I believe there were requests for some documents, Mr. McCauley. This is more of a catch-all so that if there are documents needed to support the testimony you will be receiving, we have them. We have requested them.