Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 18th, 2011

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

How often does that occur?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Mr. Martin, your time is up. Thank you.

We'll move now to a bit of a cleanup round. We've had three rounds, as is the normal practice of this committee. We'll try to get questions from those who have not been able to ask questions yet today.

I'll recognize Mr. Young.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, the coalition majority today you've been witness to has been trying to hide information from the public in a number of ways--points of order, motions, and cutting off witnesses repeatedly.

When you were cut off earlier today, were there any specific questions you didn't get a chance to give a complete answer to that you would like to completely answer now?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Thank you for the opportunity.

I think I have done my best, to the best of my ability, to provide the factual answers to provide the truth. I have tried to answer every specific question that was posed to me as a question. I think I've done that thoroughly. I want to put some facts on the table.

I would never deliberately mislead anyone--anyone in the House or any member of the committee. I sit here before you bringing you the truth and the facts. I recognize that my reputation and integrity are being questioned here. I would tell you that this is the value I live by, I have lived by throughout my life, and I live by every day, whether I am before a committee, in the House, answering questions, or meeting with constituents. This is something that I value very highly.

I also want to put on the record that through a fair and balanced hearing, with open minds willing to hear the facts, understand the explanation of the process undertaken, and understand the limitations of the format used at that point in time, there is no cause to move further. I believe we have done what the Speaker instructed us to do to clarify confusion that may remain.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

Madam Biggs, were you ever unsure of the minister's decision on this Kairos funding matter?

[Margaret Biggs]

No.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Thank you.

Do you ever make the final decision on matters like this?

[Margaret Biggs]

There are some decisions the minister has delegated to the department. On these issues, no, the minister has the authority to make the decision.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

So the decision memo sent to the minister was clearly a memo to get a final decision.

[Margaret Biggs]

Yes, it was a memo with a recommendation to seek a decision.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Thank you.

What is the difference between recommending a proposal and ministerial approval?

[Margaret Biggs]

Well, a recommendation is a recommendation. It's advice coming from the department and it does not have any authority. The authority comes when the decision is made by the person who has the authority to make the decision.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Thank you.

Minister, we just heard from expert witness Professor Ned Franks that ministers are required to sign thousands of documents, and you made reference to 758 decisions you were required to make. Were they for CIDA or for different organizations as well? Was that just for CIDA?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

They were just proposals made to CIDA for funding requests through normal channels and through the different branches of CIDA.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Can you please explain what would happen if you approved every proposal that was put before you for a decision?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

I can't speculate what would happen—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Excuse me, Minister.

Excuse me, Mr. Young, but I have a point of order.

Mr. Proulx.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, there are 10 minutes left. I was wondering if the Conservative regime members would be generous enough to let the opposition parties ask additional questions, seeing as there are only 10 minutes left.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Well, of course, taking time out for the points of order will also take time away from that. It was my thought to give a round to the members who hadn't had a chance to ask questions and then do some one-off questions, if time still allowed.

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

I see.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

We may have just used that time, but let's hope we didn't.

Mr. Young, you have about a minute left.

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Would you like to answer that question, please, Minister?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

I couldn't speculate as to what may happen. What I do know, which is a reality, is that even though our government has doubled its international assistance, even though we met a commitment to double our aid to Africa, we are not able to respond positively to every proposal that is received by CIDA. Consequently, this requires advice from the department and a decision by myself as the minister.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you, Mr. Young.

Mr. Armstrong.

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

Thank you for being here, Minister. I'd like to say that when I was brought up, I was brought up with manners. I will ask you questions and I expect you to answer the questions, and I will give you the appropriate time without interrupting, unlike some people on this committee who have done so today.

In my background, I have never been a minister of a government, but I have led organizations and I was a school principal with a fairly large staff. When you lead an organization, many people from many components of your organization will come and ask for a lot of things. The hardest decisions one has to make—and I'm going to ask you if you agree with this—are the ones on budgets. There are a lot of good ideas that are brought to you, and you have the last say. Is that appropriate, as a minister of a federal department?