Evidence of meeting #51 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was decision.
A recording is available from Parliament.
March 18th, 2011 / 1:50 p.m.
NDP
1:50 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives (KAIROS)
I was just going to say that our positions are parallel, really, to the Government of Canada. They include a critique of the settlements as making it impossible to have a viable state.
1:50 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Could there have been a report published by one of these four organizations—well, the two Palestinian ones, I presume—that may have been over the top or hypercritical of Israel?
I'm just looking for some reason.... If some report was circulated that was very condemning of the actions of the Israeli government from an organization that you were helping with Kairos, do you think that might be what got under Jason Kenney's skin to order his junior minister to scrap the funding for Kairos?
1:50 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives (KAIROS)
I don't know what Minister Kenney's role may have been. I don't know what his motivations were. From the point of view of Kairos, the positions taken by our partners are ones that, while not always exactly the same as ours, certainly are not extremist and certainly not dangerous or harmful to Israel.
1:50 p.m.
NDP
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I understand that. Again, we're just seeking to understand how this could happen. I don't know of a more credible organization than Kairos. Virtually all of the mainstream churches in Canada and their members are not going to be engaged in something that Jason Kenney would find unpalatable.
There's a long history and tradition of the minister of immigration, as a senior minister, pushing around the minister for CIDA, and I'm not just talking about this Conservative government. It's just the way things work at cabinet, that the minister of immigration has a lot more power. They tend to raid budgets. They tend to dictate policy that is really out of their jurisdiction and into CIDA's aid jurisdiction.
It's not inconceivable that this same dynamic is playing out in this cabinet, where a very prominent minister, like Minister Kenney, a man who would be king, is in fact pushing around a junior minister like Minister Oda and imposing his will.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Thank you, Mr. Martin. Your five minutes are up.
We have about five minutes left, so I'll entertain a one-minute question from each.
Mr. Proulx, you have a one-minute question and answer, please.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Thank you.
Before I forget, is it Monday, Room 253-D, televised? Are we here again Monday morning, instead of Room 212?
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Why wouldn't we be here with the television? It's in public, isn't it?
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Consideration of a draft report by a committee is almost always done in camera, but with the will of the committee we'll—
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Thank you.
Mrs. Corkery, in Quebec, KAIROS may be known or it may not, but, where it is, it is mostly—as far as Catholics are concerned—through the organization Développement et Paix, correct?
How many Catholics do you think the organization Développement et Paix could reach in Quebec?
1:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives (KAIROS)
Kairos doesn't have that kind of structure. The members of Kairos are the churches and the church organizations. We've just begun a new program of friends and companions. I couldn't say how many supporters there are in Quebec. There certainly are people. I've spoken there. I've spoken on the west island and others have been involved with ROJeP
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Thank you.
Mr. Lukiwski, you have a one-minute question and answer, please.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
If I may, Chair, I have a bit of a commentary. I won't take up the rest of the time for others who may have questions.
In response to Mr. Proulx's observations that perhaps the draft report should be done in public is that Mr. Proulx, being an experienced parliamentarian, should know. Particularly since he's a member of the procedure and House affairs committee, he would recall that there is obviously a point of privilege before the House now dealing with releasing of draft reports. They are always done in camera. He should know that. If he doesn't, then I will just point that out to him. I would suggest that any discussion to the contrary would be completely out of order.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
1:55 p.m.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
I have a quick question for you.
If I understand you correctly, you submitted your application in March 2009 because there was a favourable analysis in February.
From March to November 2009, did you have any discussions with CIDA? Were there any comments, or did CIDA ask you for any clarifications on your application?
1:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives (KAIROS)
Yes. As I said earlier, between our submission of our proposal in March 2009 and the end of that summer, there were questions. We worked back and forth by phone and fax with questions asked by CIDA. Our understanding is that all the questions were answered by early July, I think.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Thank you.
Mr. Martin, you have one minute for question and answer.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
1:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives (KAIROS)
Thank you very much.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Ms. Corkery, you did a great job today. Thank you for sharing all your information with us. We'll excuse you.
We'll suspend for about three minutes.