Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Sept. 11th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Excuse me, Mr. Poilievre. I have a point of order over here.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

It's mostly a point of clarification from you, sir. I heard Mr. Poilievre talking about the other subject that we are to discuss. Is he not out of order in discussing that now?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

I'm giving him some latitude. I think it's perfectly okay. He's going to get back to his amendment. He's still on track—maybe not quite as focused as we want, but I'm giving him latitude.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

I see. Okay, good. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Mr. Poilievre, please continue.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

The reason I mention the other issue is that one of our colleagues used as a pretext for his cover-up the fact that we need to move on to another subject. In fact, we don't need to move on to another subject. That other subject is dealt with, and we look forward to seeing the Chief Electoral Officer before this committee. We have already authorized the chair to seek him out. That's done.

So we can continue to work on—

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Well, we'll clarify it after this; I caught it. But thank you.

Please continue.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

At this point we can continue to work on convincing the opposition to open its books, to stop its cover-up, to come clean with Canadians, and to allow all of the people of Canada to know about their electoral financing practices. We have a motion here that allows all parties to come forward and explain their practices. We're waiting for at least one party—one brave soul on the other side—to join with us in supporting an open hearing on electoral financing, wherein their practices will also be under scrutiny. So far, no dice. I know there are members over there whose stomachs are turning at what they're doing right now. They would have to be, because I know how they've spoken on the record; we know what they've said. We know their words and we know now their words don't match their deeds.

We know that the Bloc does not want to explain its in-and-out scheme, the in-and-out scheme that was the source of great controversy in the province of Quebec. Much has been written about this in-and-out scheme carried out by the Bloc Québécois. It has not been studied by a parliamentary committee, and we look forward to having that study.

As for the Liberals, after years of criminal prosecutions for their electoral financing practices, I think it's fair to say that there's probably more to be studied. There is still $40 million missing, $40 million dollars that the Liberal Party has never accounted for, that the Liberal Party has never explained, and that the Liberal Party is continuing to cover up with its vote against my amendment today.

Chair, we look forward to hearing what the opposition will say on our amendment, and we hope they will change their minds in the next several minutes before this vote occurs, so that in fact there is not a cover-up. We look forward to their coming forward forthwith to support this amendment, or they will have to explain to their voters why they're covering up their electoral practices.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Thank you. My list is exhausted, so are we ready for the question on the amendment?

[An hon. member]

Yes, call the question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

We will call the question.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

We ask that this be a recorded vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

This is the question on the amendment to the original motion. I will ask the clerk to read the amendment, please; then we will go forward with a recorded vote.

[The Clerk]

The amendment reads:

That the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs conduct a thorough study of the electoral financing and use of transfers of all parties in their respective local campaigns, including the 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2006 federal campaigns; further, that this committee report its findings to the House.

(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 4)

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Colleagues, the amendment is defeated.

I wonder whose hand I saw first. I think it was Mr. Poilievre, then Mr. Reid.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, I do have another amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Could I interject for one second? I promise I'll give you the floor.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Okay, I'm first on the list then.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

You are. I can make you that promise.

I do wish the committee would consider, before we end this meeting at 5:30 p.m., that I at least be authorized to call Mr. Mayrand and get a date from him--

[An hon. member]

Finish this subject.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

Finish this subject. So what the committee is telling me is that, despite the byelection on Monday and despite the motion we adopted the other day to finish this study and report by Friday, that's your decision. What we can do now is extend the meeting tomorrow to perhaps 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and deal with both matters. We will sit until we deal with both matters. That would be a suggestion by the chair to make sure the committee work is done.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

On a point of order, Chair--

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Goodyear]

I am about to recognize you on the original comment.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

I do have a point of order as well.