Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 17th, 2011

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

That's risky, isn't it?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

It is risky.

Rounds of questions. Mr. Brison, for seven minutes.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would hope, given that the minister exceeded his opening statement time by ten minutes, he would agree to have an additional ten minutes of questioning at the end of this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Well, had the opposition members been in their chairs, we could have started on time.

Let's see how we make out in our rounds of questioning first.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Chair, you know that's off base. The reality is—

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Insults only come from you, is that how it works?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

You've blown your Mr. Congeniality award today, Mr. Brison, but let's try to get the questions in here.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Not a speech, questions.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Chair, the government is facing a breach of privilege, facing a potential contempt of Parliament, the first time in the Commonwealth that a government has faced this kind of charge from a Speaker's ruling.

Minister Flaherty was requested by committee to appear before committee. Earlier today Minister Flaherty was seen going in the direction of the House of Commons gym. I have nothing against fitness, and it is St. Patrick's Day, which may be a special day for Minister Flaherty, but I can't understand for the life of me why the government continues to show contempt for this Parliament when Minister Flaherty, who was asked specifically by this committee to appear before the committee and is in Ottawa, refused to show up at this committee.

Minister Menzies, the finance committee set a deadline of November 24, 2010, for your department to provide the information requested. That deadline passed without even an acknowledgement by your department, which showed contempt, frankly. On December 10 your government responded that “The requested information on corporate income taxes is still covered by cabinet confidence.” Do you still believe that to be true, or were you misleading the committee at that time?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

Well, thank you for that wonderful opening vote of confidence in a new minister of this government.

If I could just comment, Mr. Brison, you and I sat on the finance committee together for as long as you were finance critic. I think that you and I got along quite well. Ideologically, sometimes we may have had different viewpoints, but you will recall, sir, that I supported your motion on October 6. I supported—

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

And as a minister now, your department—

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

Could I finish, please?

I supported your motion because I wanted to make sure that we were providing whatever information we could to that committee to do its work, within the bounds of cabinet confidentiality.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

So you supported our motion.

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

We supported that motion. Actually, your motion asked for a response from the finance department within ten days. You received that response on the 27th of October, which is ten sitting days.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

The response from the minister's government on December 10 was that the requested information on corporate income taxes was still covered by cabinet confidence.

Minister, did you support that response from your department?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

Absolutely.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Okay. So you say you do believe that the information we requested as a committee--

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

At that time.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

--was a cabinet confidence.

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

The specific information that you requested at that time was viewed to be of cabinet confidentiality.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

But a couple of months later it was not cabinet confidence.

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

We provided more information to you and the committee, at your request, than you had actually asked for, Mr. Brison.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

So you're saying less information would have been a question of cabinet confidence--

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

No, no; you probably didn't hear me.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

--but providing more information would not be cabinet confidence?