Government Operations Committee on Feb. 17th, 2021

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

I don't think that's required in a matter at hand motion, Mr. Clerk.

[The Clerk]

It's actually not.... You can move the motion, but unfortunately, I can't distribute it because it's only in English.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Right.

[The Clerk]

I'm saying that, from my part, I can't distribute it.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

[Inaudible—Editor] confusion about whether it's a valid motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Do we have unanimous consent for the clerk to distribute to everybody what he has received from Mr. McCauley in one language?

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Okay, we don't have that.

Thank you.

Are there any other questions?

I see Mr. Kusmierczyk.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Chair, building upon what my colleague Mr. Drouin asked, can you please rule on the appropriateness of this motion? Normally you require 48 hours' notice in advance.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Not in a matter at hand motion.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

This seems.... Matter at hand.... I think there's a very tenuous link here, if at all.

I'm wondering if the chair could rule on whether this motion is appropriate. It seems like we're debating two different acts, two different issues.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

In looking at it and as we move forward on it, we have had the whistle-blowers here presenting to this committee on this study. We have also heard today from the witness and, therefore, I see this as valid. Again, we will further continue debate.

Mr. Drouin, I see your hand up.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Chair, I cannot believe that we are debating a motion when, as a parliamentarian, I do not have it in French. The House just passed a unanimous motion to ensure that the interpreters can do their job, and I know that they are doing so. But now I don't even have the text in French.

Can you repeat the motion? Can I have the text of the motion in French? I don't want to tell Mr. McCauley what to do, but he's been here for a number of years so he should know that a motion has to be moved in both official languages.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

They're in the rules—

No, Francis.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Paul-Hus cannot accept that.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

No, not in a matter at hand motion that can be read in—

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

I will get the clerk to—

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

—and translated at the same time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Order.

I will have the clerk reread the motion, which will then be translated so that everyone can hear it in English and French.

Mr. Clerk.

[The Clerk]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The text of the motion is this: “That, in light of testimony heard in relation to the committee's study on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee retable the committee's 2017 ninth report, titled “Strengthening the Protection of the Public Interest within the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act”, and call on the government to immediately implement, or undertake to implement, the report's recommendations, and that the President of the Treasury Board appear to provide an update on the progress since the initial tabling of the report.”

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

Next we have Mr. MacKinnon.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, I am also trying to see the connection.

We are doing a study on COVID-19 for which we have called the Information Commissioner to look at the government's response to the pandemic while public servants are away from their workplaces. That was the purpose of our meeting today. Suddenly, we receive a motion that does not deal with COVID-19 or the Access to Information Act, which is the topic on the agenda of our meeting today.

Mr. Chair, I would like to ask you formally whether you believe this motion is related to the topic being discussed today and whether you believe it is in order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. MacKinnon. I appreciate your comments. I have ruled on this, and we did have the witnesses today talking about this very subject.

We have Mr. Drouin.

No? Are you done, Mr. Drouin?

Okay. We'll go to Mr. McCauley.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

I'm sorry. I've lowered my hand.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Mr. MacKinnon?

Okay. I see no [Technical difficulty—Editor]

We'll call for the vote on the question, Mr. Clerk.

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])