Evidence of meeting #110 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was political.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Taylor Gunn  President and Chief Election Officer, CIVIX
Duff Conacher  Co-Founder, Democracy Watch
Henry Milner  Associate Fellow, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Andrew Lauzon
Lori Turnbull  Associate Professor, Dalhousie University, As an Individual
J. Randall Emery  Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Sahota Liberal Brampton North, ON

Okay. Shucks.

1:10 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

What I'd say is again, the intention is what the intention is. I want social media to appear before us because I think it's critical in informing amendments that we might make to this bill.

We have to get to the conversation that Ruby also started, which is with respect to how we're handling the rest of this time. I'd suggest we have, as soon as possible—I don't know if there's time this afternoon to carve that out.... If there's some way that we could at least issue a notice to Facebook and Twitter saying we're headed down a path where we request again that you attend and there's that subpoena coming. I don't want to totally have the two enmeshed, as much as that may end up being what's happening here. We have to have those conversations.

It doesn't matter whether I agree with the chair, but yes, we started to expand the scope too much.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Sahota Liberal Brampton North, ON

What's the timing that you're thinking for the witnesses coming? Twenty-four hours—

1:15 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

I hear Scott's point very much. We don't want to make it, like, tomorrow, and if they don't show then they're terrible. The worry about the 24-hour piece is that if we issue it tonight.... Oh yes, if we issue it tonight, then they can appear by Thursday. If that's what we're asking for, then that's reasonable. Right? Here's the warning right now, that if they don't respond to that warning of please appear by Thursday, then we have something more serious—

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Sahota Liberal Brampton North, ON

Then it's Monday.

June 5th, 2018 / 1:15 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

That could be either the Thursday or Monday next week, depending on what the committee decides on the calendar. I know that's not a very clear motion, but I'm trying to keep the intentions.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

Nathan, it sounds clear to me. If we were to word it as a motion, it sounds like what you said was that representatives of the relevant organizations be invited forthwith, and that if—let's say—by noon tomorrow, they have not responded affirmatively, then a summons be issued for the named individuals—you have the names there—and that the date on the request for them to appear would be Thursday, I assume, at the time of their choosing.

You'll give that scope within those hours or a time that is worked out with the clerk.

1:15 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Yes, I think we'd just say we have our committee set for Thursday morning.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

Something like that, full stop. That's what I would suggest.

To be clear, Nathan, my objection was not with—

1:15 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Yes, I understand.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

It would be hard to get them here for tomorrow, but the key thing is that they have no means of responding because it's after our working hours, and we're issuing a summons, which has to be issued during working hours. There would be a lot of—

What's that?

1:15 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

We'll tweet them our subpoena.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

You have a point there.

Anyway, that's what I would suggest. Does that give you wording that's satisfactory?

1:15 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

That's my intent.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

The committee has agreed to that.

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings]

Yes, Mr. Fillmore.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

Andy Fillmore Liberal Halifax, NS

Chair, we're going to support what Mr. Cullen has said, but I was just going to remind the committee that we had agreement that we'd cease hearing witnesses on Thursday. That was from the 10th report of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, which was concurred in. We said we would finish hearing from witnesses on Thursday.

Just as a reminder, I think we've already taken care of the witnesses. We're going to make an exception to that now. I would like to ask that when we reconvene this evening, we forthwith address Ruby's remaining elements.

1:15 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Is that for committee business?

1:15 p.m.

An hon. member

Yes.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

Okay. How do you want to fit that committee business in this afternoon or this evening?

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB

Hold on a minute, Mr. Chair. Are we not dealing with Mr. Cullen's motion right now?

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

We've already agreed to it.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB

It's adopted? Okay, I misunderstood.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

Yes, we agreed to that. The parliamentary secretary is just saying that this afternoon, when we reconvene—

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Sahota Liberal Brampton North, ON

Can we see the witnesses first, up front, and then do committee business? That way, just in case we go a little over, we don't have witnesses waiting. I hate when that happens.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

Is that okay?