Procedure and House Affairs Committee on May 15th, 2014

[Thomas Mulcair]

Every step of the way this was discussed with the people here in the House of Commons—

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

A point of order, Mr. Chair—

[Thomas Mulcair]

—and that is the address, Mr. Woodworth.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Mr. Woodworth has a point of order.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The question was really quite simple and capable of a yes or no answer.

Mr. Mulcair began to run on, I assume with the intention of delaying my next question. That's not the way it works in committee. Mr. Mulcair had his five minutes to make his explanations, self-exculpatory or not. I would be grateful if you would instruct the witness to simply answer the questions and allow me to move on to my next questions.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

On this same point of order, Mr. Chair....

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Certainly.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Well, having been around here for 10 years and having seen Conservative ministers responding to questions, every single time they ask for some time to elaborate. I think Mr. Woodworth is being just a bit disingenuous if he pretends that's not the practice here. As you know, Mr. Chair, that's how committees function. We allow the witnesses to give the response that they need to give.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you, Mr. Julian.

It's not completely a point of order, but let's, from a cooperation point of view, try to keep questions and answers about the same length and see if we can just get that done that way.

Mr. Woodworth.

[Thomas Mulcair]

I'd like to finish my answer, Mr. Chairman.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, I'd like to ask my next question, and that is, Mr. Mulcair—

[Thomas Mulcair]

I did not get to give a complete answer to Mr. Woodworth—

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

—were these staff paid by taxpayer dollars through the House of Commons, yes or no?

[Thomas Mulcair]

Mr. Woodworth, your question was whether or not the employees were working on Saint-Laurent.

The answer is that they were initially located on Papineau Street, and then they—

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, the question was answered. I would like to move on to my next question—

[Thomas Mulcair]

No, sir, I am giving you the full answer to your question.

They were initially located on Papineau Street, and then they were located on Saint-Laurent Street. It was all approved at every stage by the House of Commons pay and benefits service, as discussed with the House.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, I didn't ask about approvals—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

On a point of order, Mr. Woodworth...?

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Yes, Mr. Chair. I did not ask about approvals. I would like to ask my next question, and I don't appreciate the witness preventing me from doing so.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I will—

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

On the same point of order, Mr. Chair, if Mr. Woodworth would actually listen to the response that was given by the Leader of the Opposition, he could see that there were actually two parts in the answer to his question. If he does want the answers, he has to listen to them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

That's debate, Mr. Julian.

We'll let the questioner ask the questions and the witness answer the questions, and hopefully we'll get this going.

Mr. Woodworth.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Mulcair, these staff were paid by taxpayer dollars through the House of Commons, yes or no?

[Thomas Mulcair]

Every step of the way, we were in discussion with pay and benefits of the House of Commons, who sent the BlackBerry numbers for the Montreal phones—

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Don't you know whether they were paid by taxpayer dollars, Mr. Mulcair?