Evidence of meeting #1 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was documents.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
I have Ms. Block, Mr. Gasparro and then Ms. Rochefort.
Go ahead, Ms. Block.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
What I would add to this discussion is that by putting forward a motion that we receive these documents to our P9s only and keep them confidential, we're actually protecting the unredacted information that we received from Coradix and Dalian until such time that we determine what we want to do with the information that we've received.
I would just add that it may be useful to find out from the clerk what would happen if we didn't pass this motion. Where would these documents go if they were to be sent to the committee? We're trying to limit the distribution to members of Parliament only.
Liberal
Vince Gasparro Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
I'm sorry. I don't know the proper way of doing this.
Would the honourable member be willing to add into the motion that a written brief be included in the documents that are sent to us? The written briefing would come to our P9s with the 100,000 documents, or whatever the number is.
Bloc
Marie-Hélène Gaudreau Bloc Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Mr. Chair, I hope that we'll often come up with friendly amendments.
If we add to my motion—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Since we're somewhat casual today, we'll just consider it as done, if we're comfortable with that. We'll adopt it as you see it—which is to deliver the documents to P9s only, and the analysts will provide a briefing—just to move things along.
Bloc
Marie-Hélène Gaudreau Bloc Laurentides—Labelle, QC
The interpreters are doing a great job.
There has been a proposal to make an amendment to my motion. I'll agree to it, if there's unanimous consent, so that we can be done with it, vote on it and then receive the documents. Obviously, we'll also need a briefing.
Will we add a date to say that we won't be receiving the briefing in September because you won't be ready? No. It must be done now.
If the analysts tell me that they can already give us the documents, I suggest that we proceed.
Conservative
Liberal
Pauline Rochefort Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON
Just for the record, I am not comfortable with this, because I still do not understand the process necessarily. Why do we revisit documents?
I just want, Mr. Chair—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Ms. Rochefort, you're arguing something that I don't want to say is irrelevant, but it's not relevant to this motion. There was a very clear motion directing the documents to be delivered. If you're not comfortable with that, I don't know what to say about that. However, the motion is very clear. If we're fine, we can just move to a....
To be technical, there's an amendment, and we can vote on the amendment. However, I think we have consensus that we're fine with the motion as amended. We can vote on that or continue debate on it.
Why don't we just start with the amendment? Are we fine with the amendment?
Liberal
Vince Gasparro Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
Are we going to have a recorded vote? Is this a recorded vote? How does that work, Mr. Chair?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
We have an amendment before us. We can vote on the amendment, or we can accept it with unanimous consent, which we seem to have.
I see nods all around, so unless someone disagrees with your amendment, we will go to the motion as amended, which is to provide the documents to the members' P9s only, to stay confidential, because there is stuff out there that we don't want shared.
Also, a briefing document is to be provided to the analysts and their staff separately.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
Okay. We can get to that if we're ready for that.
(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
That's perfect.
I'm going to suggest that they will be delivered in different tranches. One tranche will be on SharePoint, to the P9s only. Those will be the documents. The analysts will deliver the briefing separately to everyone, meaning your staff.
Is that clear? The staff and the members will get the briefing; only members will get the documents on SharePoint. Those items are not to be shared with anyone, not with the whip's office. They're P9 only, and confidential until this committee decides otherwise. There's not just personal information, phone numbers and that sort of thing; there are also security clearance numbers and security information. That's why we're suggesting P9 only until we decide otherwise.
Are we clear on what the motion will be?
Liberal
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
It's that the Dalian and Coradix documents, as from the original motion, will be delivered to the members' P9s only, to stay confidential. They'll be sent to the members only, and to no one else besides the members. Then a briefing document will be provided by the analysts in a separate email to everyone, including associates and staff members. It will be in a separate email. The Dalian and Coradix documents will be sent only to the P9s, and they have to stay confidential. They're not to be shared with staff or with anyone. It will be to P9s only.
Mr. Gaheer, is this on the motion?
Liberal
Iqwinder Gaheer Liberal Mississauga—Malton, ON
Yes, I'll speak on that motion.
Mr. Chair, I was on the INDU committee before Parliament prorogued, and the clerk as well. When any sensitive documents came to that committee, we generally reviewed them in camera.
Liberal
Iqwinder Gaheer Liberal Mississauga—Malton, ON
I'm sorry. Go ahead.
No, no, that's fine. I'm just making a point.
There was a particular room that was set aside and a particular time that was set aside for individuals to go and review those documents. That was for the most confidential types of documents. Not having been on this committee before, I sense that these documents are pretty sensitive in nature as well, based on the discussion that we've had so far.
Is there any sort of penalty for a leak of these documents from a P9?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
In this committee, we've distributed private, confidential stuff before. The only time I've seen it done in a separate room was VAC's documents for public accounts, and then also for the battery study. No, we just send out....
In the case of leaks, there are privilege issues.
Are we back to debating the amended motion?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kelly McCauley
You wish to go on.
I'm starting a speaking list now on the amended motion. It's on the amended motion.