Evidence of meeting #67 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Yes, that's essentially my point. It seems to me that the fault is with the form or the forms that are acceptable to the commissioner, whichever it is.
I believe it's a problem that is not best solved by this amendment.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
I would like to suggest a favourable amendment. You may decide whether it is reasonable.
Instead of referring to an acceptable form, we could say a reasonable form, as stipulated in the regulations. That would leave the door open and it would be possible to make changes, upon closer scrutiny.
Even if my suggestion is not accepted, I will survive.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
I'll go to Mr. Johns and then Mr. Fergus, and then we can read back what we have.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
I would support the friendly amendment, because right now it's arbitrary. It's “in a form acceptable to the Commissioner”.
It's already arbitrary, so I would support this friendly amendment.
Liberal
Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
I was going to suggest that perhaps in defeating this amendment by Mr. Johns....
Mr. Chair, I turn to you, because this is my first clause-by-clause evaluation that I've done in a long time.
Perhaps there would be some way that we report this back with a note asking for Treasury Board or the commissioner to take another serious look at the way that complaints are received, to make sure that it's in a form that is accessible.
Is there some way we could try to get them to take a look at this again?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Mr. Fergus, you have put me on the spot. This is the second one we've done in seven and a half years on OGGO.
Maybe our legislative clerks can weigh in on that, though I suspect I know the answer.
Legislative Clerk
Yes.
The report on the bill itself would contain only the text of adopted amendments and any mention of deleted clauses.
If the committee wanted to submit additional observations, it would have to be a separate substantive report of the committee—similar to reports on other types of studies.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
It's like acceptable form. It's not a standard, right now. I would support Mr. Fergus. If there's an additional report we can make recommendations in, I would support that, so there is a clearer....
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
I seek to withdraw it, on the agreement that we support Mr. Fergus's pathway, which is the additional report.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Or the subamendment....
I'm sorry, colleagues. We'll come back.
We'll deal with the NDP amendment and the suggested subamendment.
Ms. Vignola withdraws her subamendment and Mr. Johns withdraws his amendment.
Mr. Fergus suggested a couple of things. We would need a motion from the committee to do such a thing, whether it is for a letter to the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner or a report to the House—one line.
That would have to come from you.
If you wish, colleagues, we can withdraw the two. We can suspend for two or three minutes—we're running out of time—and you can hammer out something, as Mr. Fergus suggested.
Go ahead, Ms. Vignola.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
We agree with what you suggested regarding the report to the House.
We also agree that the meeting may be suspended for a few moments to allow us to discuss this with our colleagues.
Conservative
Bloc
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Colleagues, we'll suspend. It's 6:18. We'll suspend until 6:23 so you can work out a motion.
Is that agreed?
Okay, we'll suspend for five minutes tops.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
I call the meeting back to order.
Colleagues, we are back a bit later.
I want to clarify, Mr. Johns, that you've withdrawn NDP-9. I wish to wait until we have the motion.
(Amendment withdrawn)
I think Mr. Genuis has the motion ready. We're going to wait a couple of seconds again.
Conservative
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
I believe it's fine. I'm waiting for my advisers to give me the final approval.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
All right. Thank you.
The motion I'd like to move is “That the committee report to the House that it believes, in light of testimony it has received, that there should be a standard by which the Integrity Commissioner receives complaints that is simple and accessible, and that the committee ask that the Integrity Commissioner provide feedback on this report to the committee by letter.”
Conservative
Liberal