Government Operations Committee on May 26th, 2021

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Ms. Harder.

We'll go to Mr. McCauley.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Thanks very much.

Yes, let's just get to a vote, but I will say I'm very disappointed at the untruths pushed forward, this repeated thing that we're going after contracts, this misdirection. It's shameful.

Mr. MacKinnon, in good faith, put forward an amendment that we agreed to in good faith. If this is the process the Liberals are going to carry forward—good faith and then go and spend a half-hour badmouthing us with, frankly, lies—then this is going to change the whole forward look of this committee. I realize there are partisan games, but this is shameful, this action that came up after Mr. MacKinnon's good faith amendment that we agreed to. But, fine, we'll just get to the vote and move on.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. McCauley.

Mr. Green.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I was going to sit out this filibuster, but I do feel compelled to go on the record and state that there's a certain amount of sanctimony that I've heard here, trying to direct members of Parliament in terms of what they can and can't do at committee, as protected by our parliamentary privileges, our ability to send for documents and other information. To suggest that somehow the government is going to direct how other members of Parliament do their business is a bit sanctimonious, from my perspective.

I would also state that the public is not stupid. People who are tuning in.... If there's anybody tuning in to this livestream, I don't know. To simply disregard the fact that the person in question has called for it and then to spend this time in a filibuster, that's the waste of time, quite frankly. This should have just been voted for and moved on. We would have gotten the information. I don't know. I'm sure Morneau doesn't tune into this stuff anymore, but to call his resignation a nothingburger is a bit of stretch, in my opinion.

I'll be supporting it. I think I would love to see a government that actually is open by default, and on these simple matters that we not just get bogged down in procedural shenanigans.

I think half the committees that are in operation right now are filibustered. That's the waste of time. I want to go on the record and just say that we retain certain rights as members of Parliament, which does not preclude our having to explain every single aspect of our line of thinking to anybody in this committee, quite frankly. When the information comes back, surely there will be fulsome debates if there's relevant information to this committee. If it's a nothingburger, then McCauley's got to eat it.

I just think back to that saying, thou doth protest too much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Green.

Mr. Kusmierczyk.

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

I think what's shameful is just the persistent attack on the Prime Minister's family. We've seen it over the last year with the ethics probe, and we've seen the family—

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, this has been brought up by this particular member on multiple occasions already, and I would ask that he not repeat it.

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

Yes, I think I'm going to repeat it because it bears repeating, because it's important.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, this is redundant, and that is a procedural point of order. Members in their filibuster at least have to introduce new information. If the member would like to read from the newspaper or do something else, I'm all for it, but to simply just continue to repeat comments is redundant and against our rules here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Green.

I would ask all members in the debate that they debate on point, but on issues that preferably have not been repeated and are on the issue.

Mr. Kusmierczyk, you have the floor.

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

I was just going to say that, again, to me what is shameful is the attack on the Prime Minister here. What we're asking of the members of this committee is this: If you're going to ask us to again commit resources and time, if you're going to bring somebody into the public spotlight, there has to be a reason and an explanation. We haven't heard it. It's a basic, minimum threshold, and we haven't heard it. The answer that we've heard, that I've heard from my colleagues is, “Mmm...just because.” We've put a family through hell over the last year.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

I'm going to ask that you actually rule on the point of order and not allow for the continued.... This is the third time he's repeated this exact same statement. I don't know if he has it written down and he's just rereading it, but I would ask that he enter in new information to the debate.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Green.

Mr. Kusmierczyk, please get to the point.

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

My point is that I believe—and here's the new point—we have a responsibility and I think it's a matter of principle that there has to be a reason that's provided before we pursue these wild goose chases. Again, we've inflicted that stress upon a whole family for the last year. I see the same thing happening here, being repeated. What we're asking for is a simple reason, which we haven't received in this committee.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

Respectfully, if we're going to be in a filibuster, I ask the member to introduce new information. He's repeating the same phrases over and over. At least with the other members of the government they're creative enough to bring in and enter into some new discourse. If we're going to hunker down here and I'm going to miss time with my family and everything else, I would ask that in this filibuster he introduce new information.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Green.

Mr. Kusmierczyk, do you have any new information to enter?

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

I think it was important for me to emphasize again that I disagree with the principle of what's taking place here, and what I'm seeking is a response, again, a basic response. That's all I'm asking for from my colleague. I don't think it's disrespectful. I don't think it's a waste of this committee's time, but I think we should have a reason for pursuing this proposal. I haven't heard it yet. I'm hoping to.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Mr. Kusmierczyk.

We will go to Mr. Drouin.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I will be brief, as we do want to get to a vote on this, but Mr. Green made some comments and I'd say I would accept the committee's wishes to look at any contracts, and I would. The problem is that they've done a drive-by smear for almost a year and didn't apologize. The Ethics Commissioner cleared the Prime Minister and nobody apologized. I didn't hear Mr. Green stand up in the House and apologize to his family—

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

How's it working for Morneau?

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

—for going after them.

I never heard Mr. Paul-Hus stand up in the House and apologize, or Ms. Harder or Mr. McCauley apologize for smearing the Prime Minister's family. That's just the basis of this particular motion, which we.... I will stop there, but if they had apologized, we would have a different conversation.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you.

We'll go to Ms. Vignola.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

The discussion is going in circles. Can I ask for the vote now?

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you for that, Ms. Vignola. We can't call the question. There are still people who have questions and comments.

Ms. Harder.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Through you, Mr. Chair, Mr. Drouin seems to want to direct the members of this committee as to how we should or should not conduct business, and how we should or should not use our parliamentary privilege. I find that extremely rich and inappropriate.

This is not a place to try to bully other members. This is not a place to try to shame other members for rightly using the tools that are at their disposal. When it comes to the investigation with regard to the Prime Minister and his family, I welcome the member to find a quote where I smeared the Prime Minister. I actually would ask for an apology because that's a wrong smearing of my name and a false accusation against me.

To do an investigation and to be the chair of the ethics committee during that investigation is a right understanding of my responsibility and a right function as a member of Parliament and chair of that committee. I welcome that apology from the member.