Evidence of meeting #6 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 witness.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
There are some financial matters in here, which we would always do in camera, the budget piece.
Liberal
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
We could do the witnesses and then, for the finance part, we could go in camera.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
Sir, I was out of the room when, I'm told, Mr. Volpe made the assertion that what I had said in my questions indicates some sort of admission that the comments were inaccurate. I was merely asserting that certain facts could not have been known by the authors of these things.
As to the accuracy of Rabbi Melchior's comments, that's actually something I don't know about. I only know that he's made an assertion that the former ambassador to Canada, Mr. Baker, who was also involved in the Israeli allegation at the time, made contrary assertions. We haven't yet established that information.
That's just for clarification.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
That's the point I attempted to make after Mr....that we'll get to the establishment of facts. That will be the role of this committee, the establishment of facts, but it's not today's role. I'm trying to keep down that debate and get us into how we will do the study more than what the study is at the moment, so let's move to that.
Mr. Proulx has asked that we stay in public. It's the will of the committee as to which way we go with this. We'll need to deal with some budgeting matters.
Is it the will of the committee?
Mr. Volpe.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
I prefer to stay as we are. We don't need to go in camera.
Since you just said we're going to establish the way that the accuracy has been established in the past, and will be, on this issue, is it not appropriate for you, with all due deference, to recuse yourself from the chair on this? You're the one who said exactly the same thing in my riding. Are we talking about the facts that you want to establish according to your will or according to the will of the committee?
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Chair, was your name on the ten percenter that went into Mr. Cotler's riding?
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Then I don't know why you should recuse yourself.
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
I see no reason for you to recuse yourself if you aren't the one who sent it into Mr. Cotler's riding.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
I will consider that the chair has made a ruling he will be the chair. The committee obviously has the right to overrule.
Mr. Albrecht.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
If that is factual, then our briefing notes need to be corrected for today, because they clearly indicate that you were the one.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Ah. Well, it was stated incorrectly in the House. So that may well need to be repaired, then.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
That's unless I've misinterpreted the briefing notes.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Thank you.
I'm back to the willingness of this committee to stay in public.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Mr. Chair, I can go either way. It just seems strange to me that when we're establishing a witness list, which obviously will have financial implications for each of those witnesses, how to separate those and come back and revisit it for the financial part doesn't make a lot of sense. I think we're going to double our time.
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski Conservative Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
I agree with Harold in one sense, that when we finally determine the witness list--everyone submitted them--those witnesses that are available will be coming here. I assume that all those meetings will be in public.
I mean, we've always gone by the protocol that committee business is in camera, have we not?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Right. That's been our protocol at this committee, but of course I don't rule that. It's up to the committee.
Mr. Volpe again.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
I understand the procedures of committees, but it's also very important to understand how some of the factors--in this case, witnesses--have been put on the table in order to establish accuracy.
To my understanding, the people who are listed for us to consider came from two basic sources. I'm prepared to hear what you have to say on whether I'm right or wrong on this, but I count one, two, three, four, five, six--
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Mr. Volpe, let's not start the business of the committee until we've determined whether we're going to do that business in public or in camera.
Liberal