Government Operations Committee on March 27th, 2024

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

I'm getting there, actually, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Please get to it.

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

I would like to highlight your own bias in making this decision.

I'm noticing the stickers that have always been present as props in this committee. You love pipelines and oil and gas, and it's very clear, so perhaps that had a stake in the decision you've made today.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Mr. Chair, that's not a valid point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

That's not a valid point of order.

I do—

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

Mr. Chair—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Let me finish.

I do love oil and gas. If it bothers you, I will close my laptop.

We'll go to Mr. Drouin and Mr. Lawrence, and then we're going to start the meeting.

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

I'm not a regular member of this committee, but I've been a member of this committee for six years. Never would Tom Lukiwski, a good Saskatchewan MP, have done this. Never in his lifetime would he have done this—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

That's not a point of order, Mr. Drouin.

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

—and the precedent you are setting, Mr. Chair, is that—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Mr. Drouin, that's not a point of order.

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

I can tell you that your side will be pissed off with us because we'll call meetings at our disposal, and your side will not be happy with it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

That is the chair's prerogative.

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

If that's the way you want to set the precedent of this committee, I'm telling you that we're going to challenge you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

It is the chair's prerogative to call a meeting if he wishes, and if another committee wishes to do so—

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

Mr. Chair, if you're saying that no motions—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

That's not a point of order, Mr. Drouin.

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

—and no instructions from the chair must be undertaken from now on, that is simply false.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I'm going to read this for you and for Mr. Kusmierczyk as well:

Committee Chairs have considerable administrative responsibilities, starting with those involving the committee’s program of activities. In compliance with instructions from the committee or an order from the House, the Chair:

calls committee meetings....

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

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I think you said it right there and it bears repeating: “In compliance with instructions from the committee”.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Let me interrupt you on that, Mr. Kusmierczyk.

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

Mr. Chair, you have sought neither instruction nor consultation from this committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Mr. Kusmierczyk, let me address that.

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

You have acted unilaterally outside the will of this committee. That is the issue I have with you, sir. If you want to schedule meetings with witnesses, work with committee members. That's the way we've always done it. Past chairs have always respected that principle—

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Mr. Kusmierczyk, please let me address your point of order.